


Ten Dates

by JodiMarie2910



Series: Ten Dates [2]
Category: Hana Yori Dango | Boys Over Flowers (Anime & Manga), Hana Yori Dango | Boys Over Flowers (TV), 꽃보다 남자 | Boys Over Flowers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Friendships, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Humor, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Light Angst, Slow Romance, Soeulmates, Soulmates, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23027200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JodiMarie2910/pseuds/JodiMarie2910
Summary: AU. So Yi Jeong goes on 10 dates, meeting potential marriage partners, over the course of 10 weeks. Each date takes place at the same restaurant with the same waitress: Chu Ga Eul. Light and humorous with a dose of angst...and, of course, a happy ending. A little JanHoo as well :) COMPLETE
Relationships: Chu Ga Eul/So Yi Jung, Geum Jan Di/Yoon Ji Hoo
Series: Ten Dates [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693636
Comments: 56
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello all :) Welcome to my new multi-chap fic. I hadn't planned on doing another multi-chapter one, but this idea came to me two or three months ago, and it won't leave my brain alone. This story will only be ten chapters like the summary says. There will be a chapter for each date, and each chapter will alternate between YJ and GE's POV. (This chapter will be in YJ's POV, the next one will be in GE's, and so on.)
> 
> This fic is AU in that Jan Di never went to Shinhwa and, consequently, Ga Eul and Yi Jeong have never met before. Neither Jan Di nor Ga Eul know any of the F4 personally. Ga Eul and Jan Di are still lifelong best friends (in this fic, they are actually roommates who share an apartment, so look forward to some appearances from Jan Di as well as others!).

Yi Jeong had come to the end of the line. No more stalling. No more excuses. His parents had made one thing abundantly clear—either he would find a suitable spouse or they would find one for him.

He'd been handed a list of the top ten most eligible A-list bachelorettes with which an alliance would be mutually beneficial and tasked with at least narrowing it down to two or three suitable candidates for his parents' perusal.

To that end, he'd set up ten dates. One per week, each with a different candidate. At the end of ten weeks, he would pick the one least likely to annoy him for the rest of his life, preferably someone who wouldn't be picky about whether he actually loved her or not. He had no interest in falling in love and enough sense to not expect it, anyway. His parents' marriage was exhibit A for why such hopes could only lead to mutually assured destruction.

As part of his plan to make the process as painless as possible, Yi Jeong had arranged for each date to be held at the exact same restaurant each week—no sense in spoiling his memories of other places—in the exact same private area where they would be waited on by the exact same waitress —no sense in getting too many parties involved, especially those who might talk to reporters.

Tonight, when he entered the restaurant, the host informed him that his date had already arrived. He frowned as he followed the man into the expansive dining area, and they veered down a hall where the private rooms were set up. He'd hoped to arrive before the lady in question, to give himself time to settle in and get his head straight. To put on his mask of charm. Already he could smell her perfume through the cracked door—Chanel, layered too thick. Perched ramrod straight on her chair, she stood when he entered the room and flashed him a flawless smile as he approached.

A tall, lithe woman with curves in all the right places and an elegant bearing.

Unfortunately, he knew her.

"So Yi Jeong Sunbae, it's such a pleasure to see you again," she cooed in a shrill voice.

"Park Ha Jin." He knew he'd heard that name before when he saw it on the list. "The pleasure is mine. It's been awhile."

Of all the damned luck, it had to be someone from Shinhwa. He only vaguely remembered Park Ha Jin, but he sincerely hoped she hadn't been one of those adamant fangirls who tried to ambush him in the locker room after his private swim lessons.

They settled into their chairs; she was chatty, peppering him with questions about his family and his latest exhibit, but she didn't seem neurotic.

Yet.

A waitress stepped into the room and addressed the two of them, waiting politely while Ha Jin finished a sugary speech praising his father's latest artistic efforts before speaking.

"Good evening. My name is Chu Ga Eul, and I will be your server for this evening. May I interest you in our wine selection?"

"A bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon," Yi Jeong replied. "And for you?"

"Oh! That sounds perfect," his date commented. "It looks like we have the same taste." She lifted her water glass like she might drink to their similarities and smiled suggestively at him over the top of the glass.

Casting her a reluctant smile in return, Yi Jeong fiddled with the fine linen tablecloth underneath the table.

The same taste. Ha. Great.

The waitress served the wine, followed by the appetizers and entrees he had pre-selected. As his date rambled on, he answered her in half-sentences and smiles; he was half-listening, half-designing a new vase in his mind. At least his date was easy on the eyes. She'd studied painting in Sweden, so he learned; he'd almost studied there himself before his mother's health took a downturn. Well, he supposed that coincidence was...something.

The worst part about this whole affair, really, was that he couldn't charm any of these women into his bed. Even a confirmed playboy like himself had a few rules regarding who he would and wouldn't go after.

No foolish girls—the ones who would fall in love with him after one kiss.

No innocents—the ones who had no idea what they were getting into.

No one associated with his friends or family—the ones on his parents' precious list.

A few glasses of wine and an eternity later, his date sent her mostly untouched plate back to the kitchen. The waitress refilled his wine glass for the fourth time and asked if they would like dessert. For the first time that evening, he allowed himself to get a full impression of her: uniformed in heels, loose black dress pants, and a long sleeve silver blouse embroidered with flowers, with her hair pulled into a high bun and her face lightly made up, she looked pretty, in a fresh, innocent schoolgirl way, with an air of friendly professionalism. She also looked quite young; he didn't guess she could have been working there long. He wondered why she'd been chosen for this particular task.

"A slice of cheesecake for the lady, please." He flashed her a charming smile, not missing the blush that appeared on the waitress's cheeks as she acknowledged his request. Which gave him an idea. Innocent appearances aside, she might be open to a bit of fun if he played his cards right. As someone once said, it was always the quiet ones. Come to think of it, he'd caught her casting furtive glances at him when he seemed to be occupied with his date. Perhaps he might have company this evening after all. Of course, it would mess up his plan to have the same waitress each night, but then again...he deserved some compensation for this utter waste of his time.

Once his date had finally left—he was already crossing her name out on his mental list for being too obviously a sycophant—he waited a few more minutes for the waitress to reappear. Lounging back in his chair as she cleared away the half-eaten cheesecake, he said, "You can give my compliments to the manager for your excellent service. Perhaps I might have a word with him. Ask him to give you the rest of the night off."

"Oh. Thank you very much." She bowed politely, clutching the plates to herself. "There's no need, though. You're my last customer."

"Ah, I see. Long day?"

"Oh, a bit." The blush returned. She tucked her hair behind her ear adorably.

Wait. Adorably? No.

Yi Jeong mentally grimaced.

Where the hell had that come from?

He didn't want 'adorable.' He wanted to get laid.

"You're getting off in a few minutes then, yes?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet." He stated it like a question, smoothing out the tablecloth over the top of the table.

"Oh, I'll eat when I get home." She gave him a warm, friendly smile, now balancing a few plates and cutlery. "Is there anything else I can get you? Or anything you would like done differently next week? I can pass it on to my manager."

"Everything was perfect," he drawled out.

Except, of course, the fact that he'd been there at all.

"Oh, good. I'm so glad we'll be seeing more of you," she replied, her voice rising a little. To be honest, she seemed like she was suppressing something…

Emboldened, Yi Jeong pressed on, "Speaking of which...Actually, it's you I was hoping to see more of," he intoned in that light, teasing manner he'd used to seduce girls at school. "Maybe..." he started and was about to add 'tonight' along with something vague about drinks, but then he noticed her glance to the side.

A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face.

"I'm sorry." She let out a nervous laugh. "I don't quite know what you mean." Her wide, honest eyes betrayed her confusion.

He paused, studying her.

Had he not been used to masking his true emotions, he might have frowned.

Not an act, he decided. A true good girl. What a shame.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood to corrupt anyone tonight, nor did he have the patience to try.

Tamping down his disappointment, Yi Jeong continued, "Next week. You will be serving me again, yes?"

"Oh, yes. Yes." She seemed relieved by his answer. "Of course." She nodded her head earnestly.

"Then." He inclined his head towards her. "Good night."

"Good night," she replied, still mid-bow when he stood and headed for the door.

Checking his watch, he decided to call Woo Bin and see if he wanted to hit up a few clubs. The night was young, after all, and he was playing on borrowed time.

Next Friday would come all too soon.


	2. Chapter 2

The next Friday couldn't come soon enough for Ga Eul. As soon as it was relatively time for her to get ready for work, she stood in front of the mirror for nearly an hour, trying to get her uniform, makeup, and hair just right.

Not that her hair would look any different from her regular updo, as the restaurant's dress code required all waitresses with hair of a certain length to wear it in a tight, professional bun, but she could at least make sure her bun looked as perfect as possible.

She'd ironed out the creases in her uniform down to the tiniest detail.

Now she paced the room restlessly, checking her phone every few minutes while her roommate and best friend Jan Di rattled on about her blind date for the evening. Someone named Gu Soo Pyo. Unfortunately, last night Jan Di had decided to do a face mask that caused her to have an allergic reaction, and she was now fretting over the tiny red bumps dotting her face.

Ga Eul sat down on the bed, smoothing her pants out under her as she did so.

How early was _too early_ to arrive for her shift?

Not that it would make him arrive any faster.

Him being So Yi Jeong.

 _The_ So Yi Jeong.

Ga Eul pressed her hands to her face and grinned nonsensically.

Her cheeks were on fire.

"Are you listening?" Jan Di asked, swivelling around in her chair in front of their shared vanity.

"What?" Ga Eul snapped her hands down, trying to appear innocent.

"I said, 'Do you think this foundation will work?'" She held up a small bottle of liquid foundation.

"Um, wouldn't it irritate your skin more?"

"But I can't go on my date looking like this! Ugh, why are these things always happening to me? By the way, are you okay? Why do you look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to jump out of your skin."

Ga Eul shrugged.

"I guess I'm bored. I want to go to work already."

"Is work that exciting these days?"

"Sometimes," Ga Eul replied noncommittally.

"Hmm, I see...All right, who is he? One of the waiters who works with you?"

"What? I mean, no. N-no."

Jan Di frowned.

"Your cute boss?"

"My boss is a sixty year old ahjussi," Ga Eul protested. "No, thanks."

"Well, you have to tell me," Jan Di insisted.

"Tell you what?"

"Ga Eul." Jan Di's frown deepened, like Ga Eul was breaking some sacred vow of their lifelong friendship by not disclosing the real reason for her current mood.

Well. To be fair, she did normally tell Jan Di everything.

Normally.

This was not a normal occurrence, however.

"The thing is...I'm not really supposed to tell."

"Because he's married?" Jan Di's eyes grew huge.

"Huh?"

"Ga Eul! How could you fool around with a married man?!"

"Ani, that's not it!" Picking up the nearest stuffed animal—a giraffe with huge, glittery pink eyes—Ga Eul launched it at her. The giraffe bounced harmlessly off of Jan Di's arm. "It's just this customer I have now. But I'm not really supposed to talk about it. My boss actually made me sign a form saying I wouldn't speak to anyone outside the restaurant about it, especially not the press."

Jan Di's eyes got wider, if that were possible.

"Oh my gosh, you're serving a celebrity!"

"Shhhh!"

"You are! Tell me everything!"

Hopping up from her chair, Jan Di plopped down next to Ga Eul.

"There's not much to tell, really," Ga Eul began, picking a few specks of lint from her pants. "He requested to have a private room every Friday night for ten weeks, and he wanted the same waitress every time. And he wanted everything to be extra, extra discreet. I guess my boss trusts me since my uncle used to work with him, and on my last review, my direct supervisor told him I was his best waitress." Ga Eul allowed herself a small beam of pride. "Which is pretty impressive considering how many people work there."

"But what sort of person rents out a restaurant like that for ten weeks straight?" Jan Di asked.

The restaurant Ga Eul worked at _was_ pretty pricey. In fact, if Ga Eul didn't work there, she would have never set foot in the place. Much less have a private room.

"It's not every day, just Fridays," she corrected. "And it's a room, not the entire place."

"Gosh, people are loaded," Jan Di groaned, falling back flat on the bed. "And my parents wash the dirty laundry of people like that."

Twisting around to face Jan Di, Ga Eul took one of her hands. "Look, Jan Di, you're my best friend." Jan Di tore her gaze from the ceiling and zoned back in on Ga Eul, who took a deep breath and proceeded. She couldn't not tell anyone. "I'm going to tell you who it is, but you have to promise...no, swear...you won't tell anyone. My boss will kill me if he finds out I told. He's having arranged marriage meetings."

"Who is?"

"It's—"

"T.O.P.?"

"No, it's—"

"Jimin? Jungkook?"

"No."

"Oh, I know! Chanyeol!"

"Will you let me finish?"

"Go on."

"So Yi Jeong."

"Who?"

"So Yi Jeong!"

"So Yi..." Jan Di trailed off, frowning at the ceiling.

"Ugh, fine here's a picture."

Ga Eul pulled up a search on her laptop and flipped it around so Jan Di could see.

"Oh! Isn't that the potter you're so crazy about?" Jan Di sat up. Leaning in towards the laptop screen, she enlarged the photo Ga Eul had pulled up. "He is pretty cute."

"Yes, I know!" Ga Eul squealed. "I actually _talked_ to him!...Well, I mean, I asked him what wine he wanted—cabernet sauvignon—and if I could interest him in dessert—he went with the cheesecake—but still, I _talked_ to him!" She clapped her hands excitedly.

"No way! And you're serving him every week?"

"Yep. He requested the same server every time...well, contingent on if I do a good job. But I haven't heard anything to the contrary, so...yay!" Ga Eul twisted around with glee.

"Isn't that kind of weird, though? I mean, serving someone you've had a celebrity crush on for forever...while he's on a date with someone else."

"Mmm...Well, I have to admit, the situation is not ideal. It's an ill-timed fate if there ever was one." She clasped her hand over her heart. "But Jan Di, us mere mortals, we should at least take what we can get, don't you think?"

Jan Di tilted her head, seeming to think about that.

"I suppose you have a point. But what happens if he doesn't like you or you don't do a good job?"

"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I'm just asking. It seems like a pretty serious customer."

"I'm pretty sure I get fired."

'Oh,' Jan Di mouthed.

"But I don't know, it's worth the risk, don't you think? I mean, at least it'd be kind of epic. Getting fired over someone like that."

"Well, it's better than getting fired over a grumpy old man who doesn't like anything you bring him. Remember that ahjussi that complained about everything you brought him at the porridge shop?" Jan Di asked, referring to the porridge shop they'd worked at together in high school.

"Oh yeah. Whatever happened to him?"

Jan Di shrugged.

"I think Master said something about him moving in with his grandson. Maybe he doesn't live nearby anymore."

"Mmm, maybe so." Ga Eul nodded her head thoughtfully.

Just then, her phone alarm went off.

This was it.

Time to meet her ill-timed fate once again.

* * *

This time, Yi Jeong arrived before his date, a vision in a silver three piece suit with a diamond earring glinting in one ear. As she greeted him, she remembered what he'd said to her at the end of last Friday about hoping to see her again—at first, she'd thought he'd been hitting on her, but now she thought it unlikely.

First of all, his date had been a knockout—straight-up model material—and if he wasn't interested in her—she'd been in the room for most of the lackluster date where he was clearly spaced out—she highly doubted he wanted anything to do with herself.

Secondly, she'd had guests hit on her plenty of times, with some of their suggestions being particularly crude and disrespectful. The last private dinner she'd waited on had been a group of high level executives, all of them ridiculously drunk by the end of the night. One of them decided to swat her bottom as she exited balancing a dozen half-filled drinks on her tray, and she nearly dropped all of the drinks on herself.

But even knowing Yi Jeong's Casanova reputation, she hadn't felt uncomfortable around him. Jan Di would say she was projecting her perfect, imaginary So Yi Jeong onto the real one, and it was clouding her judgment.

But Ga Eul didn't think so.

Or maybe she didn't care.

Tonight, as he settled into his chair, she asked if she could get him anything before his date arrived—anything besides water—but he waved her off without looking up from his phone.

So much for being glad to see her again.

Maybe her newness had rubbed off, and now she was as much part of the table arrangement as a centerpiece or a salad fork. She should have expected it, but it still made her a bit sad.

Determined to put her best serving hand forward, nonetheless, she greeted his date gracefully and took their drink orders. When she came back with a bottle of sauvignon blanc—Yi Jeong had an affinity for most wines, she'd learned—she immediately sensed the tension in the room. Whereas his date the week before had been giggly and fawning all over him, this one's stiff formality made the date seem much more like the business meeting it actually was.

Well, what should she expect from an arranged marriage, anyway?

They were discussing the latest business ventures of their parents as Ga Eul poured the wine, and Ga Eul's eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she heard the names of the string of companies the young lady stood to inherit.

Ga Eul hadn't even known some of those companies were connected.

A minute later, his date, Go In Na, was saying this and that about the current state of the stock market when suddenly she turned to Ga Eul and snapped, "Is this what you call quality wine here?"

"I'm sorry? Is the wine not to your taste?"

"Well, I don't know what you think sauvignon blanc is supposed to taste like, but it's certainly not this bitter crap."

"So sorry." She glanced at Yi Jeong, uncertain if he shared his date's sentiment. "I can get you another bottle. Or perhaps you'd like to try another wine?"

"My wine is perfectly fine. Excellent, in fact," Yi Jeong commented, sipping from his glass while looking utterly amused. "Maybe you really don't like this kind?" he suggested to his date.

"Nonsense. I know what I like." Narrowing her eyes at Ga Eul, she continued, "A glass of rosé, please." She snapped her fingers. "Hurry up." She held out the offending glass like she didn't trust Ga Eul to take it away by herself.

"Of course." Ga Eul took the glass and made her expression remain neutral; she was used to temperamental guests.

"Uh, make that a bottle, Miss Ga Eul," Yi Jeong called after Ga Eul as she scurried away. Despite the sting of his date's temper, she smiled on her way to the bar when she realized he'd remembered her name.

In Na sniffed and eyed her suspiciously when she returned and poured her the second glass of wine but, thankfully, didn't comment once she'd taken a sip.

Yi Jeong had ordered the lobster for their main course, with a side of salad; he said he'd remembered his date's 'affinity for seafood.'

In Na gave him a pointed smile when the food was delivered and gingerly put a small bite of the lobster in her mouth.

Ga Eul could sense she was going to complain no matter what it tasted like, and In Na proved her right.

"Excuse me, is this lobster fresh or frozen?"

Yi Jeong gulped down a generous mouthful of his own lobster and asked, "Something wrong?"

"I assure you, all of our seafood is fresh," Ga Eul answered. "We get those in every morning. I see them myself."

"Well, I know fresh lobster when I taste it, and there is no way in hell this lobster is fresh." Shoving her plate to the edge of the table with her acrylic nails, In Na crossed her arms and looked at Ga Eul like Ga Eul was the dumbest person she'd ever encountered.

"We only serve fresh lobster here," Ga Eul continued calmly, "but I can certainly have another one cooked for you if this one isn't to your tastes. Or if there's anything else on the menu that you'd rather have, I can get it for you."

"Can you describe anything on your menu that might be to my tastes?"

_Probably not._

"The beef tartare is particular good. But if you prefer seafood—"

"I prefer something edible. My Pomeranian eats better food than this."

_Your Pomeranian eats lobster?_

"Then perhaps you should have stayed home and eaten with your dog," Yi Jeong interrupted. He wasn't looking at either of them but continued eating his lobster like the whole exchange didn't concern him in the slightest.

"Fine." In Na glared across the table; he seemed not to notice. "I'll take the beef tartare. I better not get food poisoning. And take that." She pointed at her plate in the very same moment Ga Eul snatched it. Ga Eul at least had the pleasure of seeing her pissed expression when she saw that Ga Eul had gotten to it first.

'If you were poor, there's no way any man who looks like Yi Jeong would be putting up with you right now,' Ga Eul thought as she set the beef tartare down in front of In Na some minutes later.

If In Na said anything about this next dish, Ga Eul would be so tempted to bring her actual dog food.

She believed Yi Jeong might even find it funny.

Turning her back, she started for the door to return In Na's half-finished salad to the kitchen when she felt a hand jerk the back of her uniform shirt.

Hard.

Unfortunately, when the movement pulled Ga Eul backwards, gravity dictated that the bowl of salad fly backward as well, with most of the mess landing on the floor and a few flicks of ginger dressing ending up on In Na's black A-line dress.

Immediately getting to her feet, In Na demanded, "What's wrong with you? Do you have any idea how much this dress costs?"

"Sorry. I'm so sorry. It was accident. I...Here, let me give you a napkin."

"No, no." In Na snatched the napkin anyway and began dabbing at her dress. "I was simply going to ask for some lemon. I had no idea you were so clumsy. Perhaps I need to speak to a manager about my dress. I don't suppose you could cover it. It's probably worth more than you make in a year."

"In Na, why are you so worried about your dress? If your businesses are doing so well. Here." Yi Jeong pulled a wad of bills out of his wallet. "That should cover it. Maybe it could even persuade you to finish our meal in peace."

At least In Na had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed at his obviously mocking gesture and sat down, shoving his money back towards him. But then, in the same breath, she looked back up at Ga Eul and snapped, "Well, what are you waiting for? Clean it up."

"Yes, of course." Ga Eul knelt down and began gathering the food back onto the plate with a napkin, keeping her head down and focused on her task.

Honestly, who did this bitch think she was?

"And keep your filthy hands off of my shoes," In Na muttered as Ga Eul reached under the table for a few rogue lettuce leaves.

"That's quite enough," Yi Jeong countered. He sounded annoyed.

As if realizing she'd, again, overstepped, In Na laughed—a falsely pleasant laugh. "Well, who am I to judge? Some people are simply uneducated."

"And some people simply act uneducated," Yi Jeong replied. "If her hands are dirty, it's only because she's been serving you."

Silence.

Ga Eul picked up the remainder of the food and stood, ready to bolt out of there before tears crept into her eyes. She'd grown tough skin doing this job, but sometimes random insults would make her want to bolt and go cry her eyes out in the bathroom.

She wouldn't cry in front of So Yi Jeong. She wouldn't.

"Miss Ga Eul," Yi Jeong spoke up as Ga Eul turned to leave. She turned back around reluctantly.

"Yes?"

He had a practiced, calculating smile on his face as he looked up at Ga Eul.

"Please take Miss Go In Na's new plate back to the kitchen, along with that one."

"I'm sorry?" Ga Eul asked.

"And also, please bring me the bill. I'm quite finished for tonight." He pushed his plate away. "I think my appetite's been ruined." He fixed his eyes back on In Na. "By the poor company."

In Na scoffed.

"You aren't serious."

"Go In Na, let's be clear about something here." He leaned in conspiratorially, keeping his voice smooth and his manner calm. "I offered to meet with you out of respect for my parents and yours. But obviously we are from two completely incompatible classes. Those who pretend to be high class and those who actually are. Now I think it best for both of us if we cut this date short so that we are both free to pursue our own, as you put it, tastes."

In Na answered him with another withering glare, but she didn't say anything for a long moment. Ga Eul stood awkwardly by the table, afraid to leave with or without the plate of beef. The silence stretched on until finally In Na hooked her purse around her arm, grabbed her phone from the table, and stood.

"I hope you enjoy the rest of your dinner. I think you and the waitress here suit each other." And with that, she flounced out, letting another equally awkward silence descend.

Yi Jeong had cleared off the rest of his plate—obviously, _he_ knew fresh lobster when he tasted it—and she quietly collected his plate as well as In Na's from the table.

She cleared her throat.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked. There wasn't a check, only a running tab, so she figured he'd only said that bit for effect.

"I just want to apologize." He gave her an apologetic smile. "For my date. I'm sorry she went off on you like that. It was uncalled for. "

"Oh, there's really no need to apologize. I-"

He waved her off.

"No, no. Thank you. But she was right about something. The sauvignon blanc _is_ too bitter."

"Oh. I'm so sorry. Please tell me next time. I could have gotten you something else."

"No, it's okay. I've never liked her much. I wanted to get on her nerves. She was..."

A bitch?

"My parents' idea."

"Ah, well...I see..." She trailed off, unsure how to respond to that.

"But not to worry." Yi Jeong lounged back in his chair, taking a sip of water. "She'd benefit a lot more from marrying me than I would her. She acts like that, but actually..." He set his glass down and leaned toward her. "I hear quite a few of her father's companies are in trouble, if you know what I mean. But you didn't hear that from me."

"Oh. Yes. Of course not."

"Well..." He looked like he might say something else on the subject but instead ended with, "See you next week, Miss Ga Eul." He stood and drained the rest of his water glass.

"See you then. Good night."

She watched him disappear around the corner and smiled to herself as she began collecting the glasses, not quite believing he'd stood up for her like that.

He was nice, she decided.

Horribly rich, but nice.

And, at least, Jan Di would enjoy the story about his date. They could make fun of her while stuffing their faces with ramen from the gas station.

Honestly, Go In Na made the old guy from the porridge shop look saintly.

As she went around to his side of the table, she noticed something black poking out from under a napkin there. Lifting it up, she recognized his phone from earlier.

She dropped the dishes and bolted out the door with it.

Running out to the front, she only managed to spot him pulling away in his unmistakable orange Lotus.

Yes, she knew far too much about him, including what car he drove.

If she didn't know herself, she'd find the things she knew about him creepy.

But she was a potter, too, after all. Well, she majored in it, and he was one of her main muses besides being sinfully handsome.

Going back inside, she retraced her steps to the room, trying to collect herself while she debated what to do.

The room was still empty, with everything sitting as she'd left it.

Well. She'd have to give the phone to her manager. That was all there was to it.

But as she accidentally swiped her finger across the screen, she found it to be unlocked.

Oh, honestly, what type of person didn't put a lock on their phone in this day and age?

Especially someone of his status...wasn't he worried about stalkers...or people finding some steamy and forbidden text exchange and posting it on the internet?

Not that he would have anything remotely perverted or taboo on there, she was sure.

Or was she?

Maybe she should just copy his number down. Then give the phone to her manager. He could call Yi Jeong right back to the restaurant, and no one would be any wiser.

Except.

What could she possibly do with his number if she wasn't supposed to have it?

Maybe she could at least see if he had any cute pictures…

Ga Eul shook her head.

No. The whole thing was simply wrong.

No way was she going to look through it.

No way.

It was personal.

Private.

It would be horribly disrespectful of her.

Horribly creepy.

Her traitorous thumb hovered over the camera button for a millisecond before pressing it.

Unfortunately, as she scrolled through the photos, she realized he wasn't much into selfies. Or even pictures with him in it. There were some personal photos from a recent event she'd seen in a press release though. Scrolling further down, she found some candid shots of the other F4 members she'd heard about. The pictures looked to be taken in someone's apartment. Maybe his apartment?

To be honest, she wasn't feeling all too bad about being in total creeper mode until she scrolled up a bit too fast and all of a sudden found the entire screen covered in images from what looked like a pretty wild party.

Now she'd definitely seen enough women's boobs to last her a while.

Closing the screen immediately, she felt her face start to burn up again.

Served her right for snooping.

"Miss Ga Eul."

Startled, she spun around, phone clattering to the table.

She opened her mouth, forming a small 'O,' but nothing came out.

Shit.

"I think I left my phone here." Yi Jeong stood in the entrance, a charming smile painted on his face.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Oh...Oh, yes. I was just...trying to figure out who's it was." The words tumbled out of her mouth even though she knew they didn't make any sense.

Of course it was his phone. Who else's phone would it be? In Na had clearly taken hers with her when she stormed out.

"Sorry." Picking the phone back up, she thrust it at him. "I tried to run after you, but you'd already gone."

She'd just contradicted herself.

Great.

She hoped to god he hadn't seen her rummaging through his photos. Though he probably had.

He gave her an indiscernible look.

"Thank you." He took the phone from her outstretched palm. Their fingertips brushed ever-so-slightly.

He hadn't seen what she was doing.

He couldn't have. If he had, she'd be out the door on her butt right now.

"Well, have a good night, again."

She blinked. Before she could say anything in reply, he had swept out the door again.

Gone.

As soon as she felt he was a safe distance away, Ga Eul started breathing again.

This was turning out to be much more eventful than she'd planned for.


	3. Chapter 3

A smile tugged at Yi Jeong's lips as he dipped his fingers along the rim of his newly finished vase.

He almost hadn't believed it when he caught his waitress snooping through his phone last Friday. She seemed like the straight-laced type who would correct someone if they undercharged her at a market. A nice girl. Pure. Untainted.

But he'd forgotten something, had unintentionally dangled temptation in front of her, and she took it with both hands.

Literally.

He could still see the shock on her face. The earnest blush. How cute...no, how embarrassed she'd looked…caught doing something naughty.

He hadn't said anything—she looked flustered enough by whatever she'd seen—but he'd had a week to think about the incident now, and he'd decided to play a little game with her. Seduction was, to him, as well-crafted an art as pottery, and something told him it might be fun to mess with her a bit. Harmlessly, of course. He only meant it as a diversion from what was swiftly turning into speed-dating a bunch of nutcases.

He didn't normally mess with good girls, but maybe she wasn't as good as she appeared. In any case, he'd set himself up perfectly with that savior bit from the week before when he'd kicked his date out for being outrageously rude to her. At the time, he hadn't meant that as way to get her attention; Go In Na had been genuinely annoying and genuinely unkind.

But it could definitely work in his favor now.

With that thought in mind, Yi Jeong wiped his hands on a towel and started cleaning up so he could prepare for his date that night.

His date with an unsuspecting waitress.

And, of course, the other woman who'd happen to be sitting across from him.

* * *

Between the time he left for the restaurant and the time he entered the private dining room, dressed in a navy blue suit and tie, Yi Jeong's evening had already turned to shit.

His mother had called him while he was driving—another careless affair of his father's she wanted him to take care of. He told her he'd have to deal with it later, and she'd started crying and carrying on about how she didn't understand why his father couldn't love her. He'd wanted to shout the truth at her—it wasn't that his father couldn't love her; his father flat out didn't want to try, and there wasn't a damn thing she or Yi Jeong could do about that. Instead, he'd sat in the car and spouted trite platitudes until she calmed down enough for him to reasonably end the conversation; then he'd sent a message to the head of their home service staff for him to please keep an eye on her.

Sighing, he sat down and checked his watch. He'd still arrived fifteen minutes early.

Good.

Miss Ga Eul would be in soon.

Not that he was in much of a mood to talk now.

Maybe he'd go ahead and order the wine.

A minute or so passed before Ga Eul rushed in, looking flustered. She apologized for being so late, and he calmly reassured her that he was, in fact, quite early.

"Would you please bring out a bottle of pinot noir?" he asked as she poured him a glass of water from a chilled crystal pitcher.

"Yes, of course." Setting the pitcher off to the side, she straightened back up and folded her hands at her waist. "Is there anything else I can get you while you wait?"

"Nothing, thank you," Yi Jeong answered, his eyes sliding over to the lit screen of his phone, which showed his mother calling him back. Irritated, he flipped the phone over.

He wasn't sure why his mother always thought that _this time_ something would be different. Because his little 'interruptions' had worked so well in the past.

Yi Jeong scoffed to himself.

To abuse an overused metaphor, there were far too many leaks in the boat of his parents' relationship to patch over them with any amount of well-timed interferences by him.

And too many more women for his father to chase after once he had finished.

He didn't notice Ga Eul enter the room again, lost in thought as he was, until dark red wine splashed into his wine glass, startling him.

Ga Eul carefully poured the proper amount into the glass and righted the bottle with practiced ease. Placing the bottle on the table, she backed away to stand at an appropriate distance.

Off to the side and a bit behind him.

Where he couldn't see her without obviously making an effort to do so.

Spreading his napkin in his lap, he waited a beat before taking a sip of the wine, then called her over.

"Yes?" She emerged in his line of sight, her demeanor a bit stiffer than it had been the previous week. Maybe she was worried about the incident with his phone.

"The wine is much better tonight." He flashed her a charming smile, and she visibly relaxed.

"Oh, good. I'm glad."

"Miss Ga Eul, may I ask how long you've worked here?"

She tensed again. Just a little, in the shoulders.

"Almost three years. But I was a waitress for three years before that," she answered confidently. He could hear the pride in her voice.

"Ah, where at?"

"Just a small porridge place. I'm not sure you would have heard of it. Bonjuk Shop, the Donam-dong Branch. It's in the Seongbuk District."

Yi Jeong pretended to think about that, though of course he'd never heard of it.

"Sorry, it doesn't sound familiar."

"That's all right. Like I said, it was fairly small."

"How did you end up here?"

"My uncle used to work as a chef here. Before he opened his own restaurant."

"But you don't work for him?" Yi Jeong shifted in his chair so that he faced her more directly and crossed one leg over the other. He sipped his wine.

"I started working here before he left. This is much closer to my college and"—she gave him a sheepish look—"to be frank, it does pay a bit more."

"I understand." Yi Jeong grinned knowingly and set his glass down. Letting his fingers linger on the base of the stem, he kept his other hand on his knee.

On the table, his phone buzzed.

He swore under his breath as he let go of the glass, turned his phone over, and silenced it.

"Excuse me for asking this, but...is everything okay?"

"I'm sorry?" He turned his head back toward the waitress.

His face must have betrayed his annoyance because she immediately looked apologetic.

"Sorry, it's just that...before you looked like you were worried about something."

"No," he said, without thinking. He never talked about his mother with anyone, except on rare occasions the other F4, and he certainly didn't want this doe-eyed waitress pitying him.

"Oh. Okay, well, sorry. It's really none of my business."

"No, no, it's fine." Putting his charming expression back in place, Yi Jeong uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and continued, "I was actually meaning to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a pen? I'm going to give you my phone number."

Her eyebrows shot up.

"P-pardon?"

"In case my date this week"—Yi Jeong glanced at the empty doorway and dropped his voice—"is similar to the last one. If you wouldn't mind calling me so I can cut it short more... tactfully."

"Oh." A rosy hue colored her cheeks. "Oh. Oh, yes. Of course," she stammered out. "Here you are." Ga Eul proffered a ballpoint pen from her pants' pocket and handed it to him.

Yi Jeong pulled a slip of paper out of his wallet and wrote on the back of it.

She accepted the paper with her thumb and forefinger at the farthest end from Yi Jeong's own fingers. Yi Jeong held the paper in place a moment before letting go, causing her to look up at him.

He winked at her conspiratorially.

Her cheeks grew even redder.

"It'll probably go over better if I leave due to an 'emergency,'" he explained further, twining his fingers around the stem of the wine glass. "Let's just say my parents were not very amused at the way I kicked Miss Go In Na out."

"Ah, I see." Ga Eul rubbed the paper between her fingers. She stared at the inked numbers like she'd been given a sacred treasure. "Well, in that case, I suppose we ought to have a code or something," she mumbled.

"Good idea. All right, let's say—"

"Oh, you could—"

They both cut off.

"You go first," Ga Eul insisted.

"No, what you were going to say?"

"Just that you could ask for a coffee. That's really normal, isn't it?"

"Yes. Except that I really like coffee. What if I want one for real?"

"Then you should say, 'I would like a coffee, the best coffee served by your establishment.'"

"But if I don't actually want coffee, I'll say, 'Give me a cup of your shittiest coffee,' is that it?"

Ga Eul laughed.

"Ah, I see where that might be a problem," she said.

"Okay, well, how about this? I like my coffee black, so if I ask for it with cream and sugar, that means I don't actually want coffee."

"Sounds good to me. But, may I suggest one thing?"

"Yes?"

"You should probably turn the volume on your phone back up." She pointed at the phone currently lying motionless on the table.

Yi Jeong steered his gaze to the offending object.

Of course his phone was on silent.

He'd just set it that way.

How could he have made such a blunder?

He'd devised the plan as a way to give her his number. Just to see how she would react. Of course, he didn't really intend to use it. He was So Yi Jeong. He didn't need escape plans.

But in his distracted state, he'd made a mistake, and she'd caught it.

As he laughed stupidly and turned the volume back up—all the way up—he tried to remember the last time he'd tripped over his own feet like that.

He couldn't remember a last time.

Precisely at that moment, his date walked in, and for once he welcomed the new presence in the room.

"So Yi Jeong."

"Park Se Ri." He stood. "Good to see you again."

Once they had greeted each other and Se Ri had taken the seat across from him, Ga Eul took her wine order and left the room. He surveyed the woman in front of him—narrow frame, small breasts, shapeless legs, and sharp, angular facial features that made her large almond eyes stand out like a frightened child's. She wore a cream blouse that was too thick to see through—not that it mattered, just an observation—and flowing back pants with a bow at the waist. On her face, a pair of slim, round, rose gold glasses enlarged her eyes further and betrayed her inquisitive, nerdy nature.

Se Ri wasn't unattractive _per se_ , but she also wasn't exactly his type. He'd known her since elementary school, and she'd attended more than a few birthday parties for the different F4 members. A fairly shy girl, he remembered her for having her nose always stuck in a book or in a grownup conversation about business management.

Even so, before he'd started the dates, she'd been at the top of his list of possible candidates. For one thing, he'd never been terribly interested in the business side of the museum, and it would be nice to have someone more suited to handling that side of the equation. For another thing, it was better the devil he knew than the devil he didn't.

Unfortunately, as he'd asked after her a bit through mutual acquaintances, he'd found out that she, by all accounts, wasn't a devil so much as a saint, which, if proven true, made him reluctant to offer her an arrangement that would probably make her miserable.

That, and she was very much _not_ his type.

A fact that came into relief all the more when Ga Eul returned to stand beside her, pouring moscato into her glass.

Clearing his throat, Yi Jeong asked, "Se Ri, you recently returned from Canada, yes?"

"Yes, I went there with my mother to inspect the branch there." Her glasses bobbed up and down as she nodded and spoke. "It's very beautiful this time of year."

"I've never been, but I'll take your word for it."

"You've been to a lot of places in Europe, though, right?"

Yi Jeong nodded.

"I should go to Europe, but every time I think I'll take a trip for myself, something with the business comes up. You know, it hasn't been the same since my dad's stroke."

"How is he, by the way?"

"Better. More or less." Her face lit up as Ga Eul presented them with their entree for the evening: Italian spaghetti.

"Oh! It's my favorite dish." Pointing at the plate, her full eyes grew larger, if that were possible, as she continued, "You remembered?"

"We only had it every year at your birthday party. Please, eat a lot." He extended his hand, palm upward, towards her.

"Thank you." Picking up her fork, she wasted no time twisting the strands of pasta around it.

She looked so entranced by the food that Yi Jeong let his attention wander for a few minutes as he dug into his own meal, satisfied that she was enjoying herself.

He'd made it halfway through his dish when he realized with surprise that she'd hardly eaten anything. Instead, she was twisting and re-twisting pasta around her fork, nibbling a bit every once in a while.

In fact, she looked nervous about something.

Sure enough, after a few more minutes of picking at her food, she set her fork down and asked, "Yi Jeong, may I be honest with you?"

"Of course." He set his own fork down, at a loss as to her sudden change in demeanor.

"Actually, I agreed to this meeting because of my parents, but since we grew up together, I wanted to tell you upfront that I've had a boyfriend for the past two years."

He blinked, surprised.

Well, maybe he shouldn't be surprised. Lots of people he knew had fleeting, closet romances before they were forced back into reality, either by business or by family or both. But Se Ri—he didn't remember her ever dating anyone or even paying guys much attention when they were in school together.

"Let me guess. Someone you met in college?" he prodded.

"I wish." Her face fell even more. "He works for my father's company. One of his junior accountants."

"Ah." He imagined the two of them hunched over an office desk, bonding over their shared love of sales data. He'd never had much of a head for numbers himself.

Sighing, Se Ri rested her elbows on either side of her plate and brought her hands to her face. Her softly curled, moderately long hair dangled precariously close to the spaghetti sauce.

"I've always been honest with him, about how far I could take the relationship, but he's adamant about asking my dad if he can marry me, anyway" she explained, "I know that's not possible, but he's being so stubborn about it. And ever since my dad had his stroke, I've been even more scared to bring it up. What if he has another stroke? It's not like I don't know what my dad's going to say. He's only going to get himself fired."

Yi Jeong gave her what he hoped was a sympathetic smile. Comforting distraught women—at least outside the realm of sex—wasn't exactly his forte. He felt bad for Se Ri, but in the way one feels bad for anyone who steps into quicksand knowing, but not believing, that they'll be swallowed up.

"Do you have any advice? I mean...surely there must have been someone you were with before. Or someone you liked."

"Have you read the tabloids lately?" he asked.

Se Ri stared blankly at him. Like his public reputation had no meaning to her.

"I stayed away from all that. No use kidding yourself." Yi Jeong reclined in his chair, pushing his half-empty plate away.

Ga Eul swept up the plate and disappeared from the room with it as Se Ri persisted, a wistful look on her face, "You never met anyone... _anyone_ you wanted to stay with forever?"

Ignoring her question, Yi Jeong replied, "You want my advice? I think you should break up with him. As soon as you can. There's no sense in stringing a person along like that."

Se Ri's face fell again.

"I suppose you're right," she mumbled. "I've just been postponing the inevitable. Oh god, I've gotten myself in such a mess." Se Ri groaned as she pressed her forehead into her hands. A strand of her hair dipped into the pasta. Yi Jeong tugged her plate to the center of the table.

Oh great. Now she was wiping tears from her eyes with her dirty napkin.

"Yah." Yi Jeong offered her the unused napkin that had been laid across his lap. "I'm sure everything will work out. Just break the news as gently as you can. To your boyfriend, not your father."

"Would you like another napkin?" Ga Eul reappeared at the table, giving Se Ri a friendly smile and holding out a clean cloth. Se Ri took it with a shaky smile and a small 'thank you.'

"Would you like me to take your plate?"

Se Ri nodded.

"Will you also get us a slice of chocolate cake, please?" Yi Jeong asked, handing off Se Ri's plate.

Acknowledging the request, Ga Eul swept off toward the kitchen once more.

"If there's anything I know about cheering women up, it's that chocolate makes anything better."

"I'm sorry, I'm not being a very good date, am I?" Se Ri commented, dabbing at her eyes before setting the napkin down and straightening herself out in her chair.

In truth, he'd hoped his date tonight would give him cause for a bit more interaction with Ga Eul. That, and he hated watching women cry. But Se Ri was a sweet person, and he felt genuinely bad for her. First her dad's stroke, and now this. She'd been dealt a shitty hand, and, as book smart as she was, he had a feeling people often took advantage of her caring nature.

"Oh, don't worry," he replied smoothly, "you're quite tame compared to last week's episode."

"Does that mean I've made it to round two?" she asked jokingly. Or not. He couldn't quite tell.

"I don't know. I've been thinking about drawing names out of a hat. Might be easier and a little more sane."

Se Ri laughed and took a sip of water.

"I always thought you were funny, Yi Jeong. I hope you find someone."

"That's the goal here."

Se Ri shook her head.

"That's not what I meant. You should fall in love. At least once. Even as miserable as I am now, I don't regret it."

Yi Jeong simply smiled, not wanting to spoil her lighter mood.

Love.

Right.

* * *

After Se Ri left—promising to let him know of any further developments with the boyfriend—he waited for Ga Eul to return and clear up, but when she didn't come back after a few minutes, he concluded she must have gotten occupied by something in the kitchen, or perhaps with her manager. Pocketing his phone, he made his way leisurely to the front of the restaurant.

The valet took an inordinate amount of time pulling up with his car, but once he'd been safely ensconced in the orange sports car, his mind flew back to Se Ri's question over dinner.

_You never met anyone you wanted to stay with forever?_

His hand hovered over the gearshift.

Yes.

He'd pushed her away.

She'd married his brother.

Jerking the gearshift into drive, he ripped away from the entrance, suddenly eager to get away. Get gone. Maybe get wasted.

But as he approached the exit out to the street, he noticed a familiar face at the curb.

He rolled his window down, letting the car idle.

"Miss Ga Eul!"

She turned towards him, still dressed in her uniform but with a bandage wrapped tightly around her right hand. She held it like she was trying to apply pressure to a wound.

"Is something wrong?"

Funny. She'd asked him the same question not too long ago.

"What happened to your hand?" he continued.

"Oh, it's nothing," she answered, looking flustered by his sudden appearance. "I mean, I cut my hand on a knife, and the manager thinks I ought to get it stitched. But the bandaging makes it look worse than it is."

"Would you like a ride to the hospital?"

"Oh, there's no need. I called a taxi."

"I'll take you. It's no problem." Getting out of the car, he ushered her around to the passenger side. "There's a good clinic on my way home, actually. One of my good friends works there. It's his grandfather's. He should get you fixed right up."

"Well"—Ga Eul hesitated while he held the door open for her—"I don't want to trouble you."

"It's no trouble. I don't have plans for the rest of the evening, anyway."

Except for the situation at home. Which he was avoiding.

Ga Eul shifted her weight and bit her lip, seeming to consider the situation.

"Come on, get in. I promise I'm not a serial killer, and if I am, the valets are watching us, so they'll know I took you." He gave a wave to her coworkers, who were gawking at them from the entrance to the restaurant. "I'll be sure to get caught." He gave her a wry smile. "Not that it would console you much, I guess, if you were dead."

That elicited a small laugh from her.

"Well, okay then." Ga Eul ducked into the car. "As long as you don't mind."

"It's my pleasure," he replied, closing the door.

Once he had pulled away and merged onto the main street, she said, "Thank you. By the way, you two seemed close."

"Hmm?"

"Your date for tonight. Have you known her for a long time?"

"Since elementary school."

"Ah, I see."

"We're not close exactly," he continued, unsure why he felt the need to explain their relationship to her. "It's just that we've been forced together by mutual acquaintances a lot. We had most of our classes together in school. In a sense, she's almost like family."

"Is that a good or bad thing, then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you married her, would you feel like you were marrying your sister or something?"

"I don't have a sister, but...yes, when you put it like that, I guess it would feel a bit weird."

Ga Eul smiled, gazing out the window. One hand pressed hard against the bandages on the other.

"Does it hurt much? Your hand?"

"Oh, no. Not yet, at least. I mainly don't want it to start bleeding again."

"Don't worry, the clinic's not far from here. You mentioned you were in college," he said. "What are you studying?"

"Art, actually."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"My emphasis is pottery, but I'm double majoring in Early Childhood Education. I want to teach art to children."

Pottery, huh? She must know who he was then. Not to brag or anything, but...he was kind of a big deal in that particular field.

She said nothing further on the subject, though. Merely stared at the scenery as they flew down the road. Skyscraper after skyscraper.

After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "I suppose you've been to the Woo Sung Museum, then."

"Of course." She turned her attention back to him. "When I was a kid, I begged my mom to take me so many times she started buying me annual passes. I remember when your first exhibit came out." She took a deep breath. "I'm not supposed to say this at the restaurant, but since we're in your car...I really admire your work. You're one of my inspirations." She gave him a shy, adoring smile, then looked back out at the road in front of them.

"Well, in that case," Yi Jeong said, warming with pride, "you should call me 'Sunbae.' Since we _are_ in the same discipline."

"Oh, but...How could I call you 'Sunbae'? At least, 'Sunbaenim' would seem more appropriate."

"Ah, but we're going to be together for seven more weeks. I should at least be comfortable with one person in that room. Please, I insist."

"Well...All right, Yi Jeong Sunbaenim...I mean, Yi Jeong Sunbae."

Satisfied, Yi Jeong relaxed in his seat, and they continued the last five minutes of the drive in silence.

* * *

When they pulled up to the clinic, Yi Jeong saw Ji Hoo's white motorcycle parked out front. His friend was addicted to his work at the clinic, so he had been almost positive, even without calling, that he would still be there at that time in the evening. If there was one person he didn't see getting married anytime soon, it was Yoon Ji Hoo. Poor guy had never dated, though he always appeared too spaced out to care about that.

"Oh, you don't have to go in with me." Ga Eul stopped Yi Jeong at the door.

"I've been meaning to stop by and see him. Let's go in." He held open the door for her and led the way into the lobby, calling out Ji Hoo's name.

His friend materialized instantly, his normally perfect hair askew, glasses perched on the tip of his nose, and arms filled with medical sheets.

"Yoon Ji Hoo," he reprimanded. "This is what the state of our friendship has come to. I'm having to bring injured people here as an excuse to see you." He turned to Ga Eul. "Miss Ga Eul, this is my very good friend Yoon Ji Hoo. Ji Hoo, this is Chu Ga Eul. She's been...assisting me with a project."

"Nice to meet you," Ga Eul greeted Ji Hoo. "Yi Jeong Sunbaenim...I mean Sunbae...was very kind to bring me here."

"Sunbae?" Ji Hoo asked.

"We found out we're in the same discipline. Ga Eul is an art major. Pottery."

"Double major actually," Ga Eul corrected. "Early Childhood Education."

"Ah. So you want to teach art to kids?"

"Yes." Ga Eul nodded enthusiastically.

"She cut her hand on a knife, and she needs stitches. Can you do it?"

"Sure. Come on back. Let me take a look at it."

The two of them followed Ji Hoo to the examination room, where he had Ga Eul sit on the exam table and unwrap her bandage.

Blood had crusted around the edges of the wound which, located on the left side of her palm, looked moderately deep. Looking at it, Yi Jeong was rather impressed by how calm she'd been. Ji Hoo took several minutes to rinse the wound with a saline solution and soap. Then he numbed the area with an anesthetic and proceeded with the suturing process.

Ga Eul was quiet the whole time, surveying the room and staring at the infectious disease posters on the wall, probably to take her mind off what Ji Hoo was doing.

Taking out his phone, Yi Jeong scrolled through his list of missed calls.

Four from his mother. But they'd stopped after he received a message from his head of staff saying they had everything under control.

"Oh. Is this your grandfather?" Ga Eul spoke up, causing him to glance up at her. She was pointing with her free hand at a picture hanging on the wall that showed Ji Hoo and his grandfather on a fishing trip.

"Yes," Ji Hoo answered, keeping his eyes on his task. "He owns the clinic, but he's not here right now. He usually lets me close up."

"I can't believe it." Utter surprise washed over her face. "He used to come into the porridge shop where I worked in high school. He came in there almost every day, it felt like, for a while. But then suddenly he stopped coming. My friend Jan Di still works there. She's been wondering what happened to him."

Ji Hoo asked, "When did you graduate?"

"Hmm?"

"High school."

"Almost three years ago now."

"That's about right. My grandfather and I were reunited, and I moved in with him maybe...three and a half years ago."

"Oh!" Ga Eul laughed. "Well, maybe that explains it."

"Huh. What a coincidence," Yi Jeong thought out loud. First the pottery thing, and now this.

Ga Eul looked over at him. Their eyes met.

She looked quickly back down at the hand being stitched but averted her eyes to a small white stain on her dress pants. Picking at it with her thumbnail, she mumbled, "It's a small world."

Ji Hoo finished off the last of the stitches and began applying ointment and bandages to the wound.

Stepping over to them, Yi Jeong asked, "What was the name of the place you worked at again?"

"Oh, um, Bonjuk Shop."

"My grandfather used to talk about that place," Ji Hoo replied. "He said the food was terrible."

"And yet he ate there every day," Ga Eul responded. He could hear a hint of ire in her voice and had to stifle a laugh.

"Well, perhaps we ought to go there," Yi Jeong offered. "Pass judgment on the place ourselves. What do you say, Ji Hoo? It's been a long time since we met for lunch. Do you even eat lunch these days?"

Ignoring Yi Jeong's question, Ji Hoo smiled at Ga Eul and gave her instructions on how to care for the wound properly and when to return for the stitches to be taken out.

"Will I still be able to work with these in? It's just that I have to carry a lot of things in my hands all the time."

"Judging by where the cut is and how severe it is, I think you should be fine. Just be careful not to strain that hand too much."

Ga Eul nodded.

"So, let me give you my card, and I will make an appointment for you to come back in." Grabbing a card from the counter, he handed it to her, and the three of them walked out to the lobby. After Ji Hoo had determined a time for her to return, he turned to Yi Jeong and said, "Thursday. Noon."

"What?"

"You said you wanted to eat lunch." Ji Hoo set his clipboard down and leaned back against the front desk. "I'm free this coming Thursday. At noon. I'll meet you there...where was it again?"

"Bonjuk Shop," Yi Jeong and Ga Eul answered simultaneously.

Ji Hoo glanced between them, a strange look in his eyes.

"Right. Are you coming too, Miss Ga Eul?"

"What?"

"No."

Their answers burst out at the same time. This time, they looked at each other.

The glint in Ji Hoo's eye became more mischievous. He seemed to be having a private laugh at something.

"I thought you said your friend works there," Ji Hoo said, addressing Ga Eul.

"She does, but—"

"I meant for the two of us to go," Yi Jeong interrupted. Clearly, Ji Hoo was misinterpreting something about the situation. "Actually, I could invite Woo Bin too. I would invite Jun Pyo, but, as you know—or maybe don't know—he's flying to the States again tomorrow."

Ji Hoo stayed silent a moment. Surveying him. Them.

Yi Jeong had always hated how he could never properly read Ji Hoo. Like right now, he didn't know if the guy was thinking about the lunch or the enigma that was their friend Jun Pyo or the oddity of him bringing Ga Eul here or something else completely irrelevant to any of that.

Finally, he smiled at the two of them and said, "Tell Woo Bin to come too."

* * *

Ga Eul was silent for most of the drive to her apartment building except to give him directions on when to turn. Whether she'd been made uncomfortable by Ji Hoo's question or simply didn't have anything further to say to him, he wasn't sure.

Though, honestly, he didn't feel much like talking himself.

It was nice, actually. They weren't saying anything, but the silence didn't feel awkward. He'd forgotten about trying to woo her as the evening had gone on. But her presence had definitely taken his mind off the situation at home; being with her and his old friend had altered his mood for the better, and he was thankful for that.

When they pulled up in front of the tall complex near her college, she thanked him for the ride and then apologized.

"For what?"

"It's just that...I feel like you saved me two weeks in a row, and I haven't properly thanked you." She clutched her light pink purse in her uninjured hand, fiddling with the strap.

"Don't worry about that. My night turned out okay, thanks to you."

"What?"

"It's nothing. Get some rest."

Nodding, Ga Eul made as if to open the door, but she had to awkwardly reach over with her non-bandaged hand to reach the door handle.

"Wait." Yi Jeong got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her.

"Thank you." She removed herself somewhat awkwardly from the car and stepped up onto the sidewalk, where she stood at a respectable distance from him. "And thank you again for taking me to the clinic."

"Let me give you my number. In case something happens and you can't get in touch with Ji Hoo. He never answers his phone."

She giggled.

"What?"

"Um, you already gave me your number."

A flush crept up his cheeks. He cursed inwardly. Cracked a smile.

"Oh. Right."

Damn, he was off tonight.

"Well, I'm going to go inside now. I'll see you next Friday. Good night, Yi Jeong Sunbae." She bowed politely.

"Good night, Miss Ga Eul."

He watched her make her way into the brightly lit building, its lights piercing against the darkness of the night sky.

What an odd evening, he thought, slipping back into his car.

What an odd girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who left kudos on this story!!! I'm glad you're enjoying this!

Ga Eul was all nerves when she got to work on Friday. And not the type of nerves she'd had for the past three weeks.

True, she'd been a fan of Yi Jeong's for a long time, but she'd never seriously considered getting to meet him and certainly not getting to know him in any intimate fashion. She couldn't believe he'd actually gone to the porridge shop with his friends the day before. Jan Di had been dancing around their bedroom all night over the prospect of the job his doctor friend had offered her. The doctor friend Jan Di had described as 'so blindingly handsome he could stand in for the sun.' Her friend had been undeniably star-struck as she described the encounter.

Not that Ga Eul had a problem with any of this, but it felt too good to be true.

She didn't want to get too used to Yi Jeong's company—or too excited over it—during the next few weeks only for him to disappear without a trace at the end of it.

If the tabloids were a reliable source of information at all, he had a habit of doing that.

Which is why she entered his private room with some reservation, deciding to act completely professional unless he continued their more informal mode of conversation from the previous week.

To her chagrin—or to the delight of her traitorous heart—his face lit up when he saw her enter the room.

Damn that smile.

That perfect, torturous smile.

"Miss Ga Eul, just in time." He stood up and moved languidly around the table until he stood on the other side of it, poised in all black, his diamond earring winking at her.

An odd thing to do.

Oh god, was he going to take her injured hand and inspect it?

If he kissed it, she might faint right then and there.

"My date had to cancel at the last minute, so I was wondering if you would like to join me."

Wait. What?

"I-I'm sorry, what?"

Putting his back to her, he pulled the chair opposite his out from the table and gestured to it.

"Please, sit down. I asked your manager if it would be all right, and he said it was fine as long as you are fine with it. I'm already here, and I hate eating alone." He winked at her like he'd let her in on the most private of secrets.

Ga Eul froze.

Was she even awake right now?

Of course, her manager had said it was fine. If Yi Jeong had asked for the entire restaurant to be cleared at that very moment, her manager would agree to it. She knew that.

But was she even _awake_ right now?

"Is...something wrong?"

She looked him over, searching for an ulterior motive behind his charming face, but he looked utterly sincere in his invitation. Though why he wanted to eat dinner with _her_...

Fumbling for words, she asked, "Ah, but...who's going to serve you—I mean, us?"

"I took care of that already. A waiter should be in shortly."

"Oh...I see, um..." She trailed off, unsure.

What the heck was she doing?

She should have been jumping into that chair, but her brain couldn't process the situation.

Wasn't this breaking some sort of protocol or something?

Did she _care_ if it was?

"Look, you're supposed to be here anyway. Why don't you sit down?" He tapped the back of the chair.

Well, if he insisted...

"All right...Um, thank you." Ga Eul gave him a weak, awkward bow and settled down in the chair offered to her.

"So." He sat back down across from her, crossing his legs. "What type of wine do you like?"

"Oh, um...I don't really know much about wines. Drinking them, I mean." She laughed nervously.

How many times could she say 'um'?

Thankfully, at that moment, the waiter appeared.

Kang Dong Suk.

Oh god, she was _never_ going to hear the end of _this_.

Dong Suk didn't exactly gossip, but she knew he'd be privately ribbing her over the incident for the foreseeable future.

While Ga Eul avoided eye contact with Dong Suk, Yi Jeong ordered a bottle of red moscato.

When the waiter had stepped out of the room, Yi Jeong asked, "How's your hand? Can I see?"

She laid her hand across the table, and he picked it up and examined it.

She memorized how he held her hand in his, the delicate pressure of his thumb on her wrist. He had large hands and long fingers, callused from his profession.

"Does it hurt much?"

Keeping her breaths even, she answered, "Not really. I just hate not being able to do things with my dominant hand. But I'm supposed to get my stitches taken out on Monday."

"I see." He set her hand back down gently. "A few years ago, I injured my right hand. I thought I'd never do pottery again."

"What happened?"

"A fight. It was stupid."

"Oh."

She imagined him in a torn dress shirt beating the crap out of a vague, hulking guy, sweat glistening on the perfectly toned ab muscles that his suit undoubtedly hid. Imagined his hair feathered and damp on his forehead. She blinked the thoughts away. Hoped her face betrayed nothing.

"Anyway, my friends talked me out of giving up on it." His right hand toyed with a napkin on the table. "I went through a lot of therapy, but my hand's almost as good as new now."

"Was the doctor one of those friends?"

"Ji Hoo was." He nodded. "And I have two other friends, Gu Jun Pyo and Song Woo Bin. They're like my brothers."

"That's nice." Ga Eul smiled. "I'm an only child, but Jan Di's like my sister. We've known each other since kindergarten. It's nice to have friends that are like siblings. Jan Di and I have always done everything together. Except working here, of course. And I'm not going to medical school, so there's that."

He smiled but said nothing, and she realized she'd been rambling.

Dong Suk returned and served them the wine. He raised his eyebrows at her as he poured the wine into her glass. She pretended to study the embroidered pattern on the white tablecloth.

When he disappeared to the kitchen to bring out their entrees, Ga Eul let out a relieved breath and took a sip of her wine. Sweet, and surprisingly good. She usually didn't care much for wine, finding it too bitter.

"So tell me, is the wine to your tastes?" Yi Jeong gave her a teasing smile.

"Well...I don't know what red moscato is supposed to taste like"—she lifted her chin—"but it's certainly not this bitter crap," she said, smiling to let him know she was joking.

Thankfully, he caught on and laughed.

"Maybe you should try another kind then."

"Nonsense." Ga Eul put on her sternest glare. "I know what I like." When he laughed again, she continued, "No, no, this is really good. Thank you."

"Good. You'll also be relieved to know we aren't having frozen lobster this evening."

"Well, I should hope not. What kind of restaurant is it where they don't even thaw it out before serving it?"

"The kind of restaurants Go In Na frequents, which is why she can spot frozen lobster so easily."

It was Ga Eul's turn to laugh.

"Or perhaps she routinely buys it for her Pomeranian."

"The poor dog," Yi Jeong commiserated. "Now that you say that, I wonder what would be worse—being her dog or being her husband."

"Definitely the husband."

"Why?"

"Because then you'd be forced to talk to her. And, if you were a dog, you could more easily run away and hide behind things."

"Or..." He circled the rim of his wine glass with his fingertip. "You could terrorize the hell out of her."

"You could bite her...Wait, that doesn't sound right."

Yi Jeong laughed at the implied innuendo.

"Or rip up all of her clothes." She slapped her hands to her face. "No, that's not what I meant!" She put two fingers over her mouth. "I should shut up."

"Miss Ga Eul, I had no idea you had such a dirty mind."

"But that's not...what I meant..." She trailed off helplessly. Hiding her face partially behind her wine glass, she continued, "Anyway, she'd probably have you put down for that. I'm not a horrible person, I promise."

Yi Jeong laughed again, the corners of his eyes crinkling adorably.

"Haven't you heard? I'm a corrupting influence." He gulped down the last of his wine and poured some more into his glass. He offered her some, but she declined, wanting to keep at least some of her wits about her.

The wits that hadn't deserted her already.

Their entrees arrived—ginseng chicken soup steaming in wide, elegant porcelain bowls.

"If you don't like the soup, I can order something else."

"Oh no, I love this soup. My mom makes it at home." Ga Eul dipped her spoon into the fragrant, milky broth and took a tentative sip. The soup tasted delicious, but the hot liquid burned her tongue. She dropped her spoon back into the dish. "Maybe I better wait for it to cool a bit."

"You said you're an only child?"

Ga Eul nodded.

"My parents wanted one more kid, but it didn't work out. But anyway, I'm here. Do you have siblings?" Ga Eul felt like she should know that, but she couldn't remember off the top of her head.

"I have one brother." Yi Jeong bravely dipped his own spoon in the soup and swallowed the broth without complaint. "He owns a café."

"Like a coffee shop?"

Yi Jeong nodded.

"Oh, which one? Maybe I've been there."

"It's called Coffee Love."

"Coffee Love...Hmmm, I don't think so." She smiled. "If you tell me where it is, Jan Di and I will visit."

"And pass your expert judgment on the service?"

"Of course."

"I'll tell my brother to be on his best behavior then."

"Do you go there often?" The question slipped out.

When Yi Jeong didn't say anything immediately, Ga Eul mentally slapped herself. She didn't want him to think she was a stalker. That she'd go by the coffee shop every day on the off chance he'd stop in. Because she would never do that.

Certainly not.

Certainly.

Not.

"Not recently, no. I've been busy." He smiled, his lips tight. It seemed to be a touchy subject with him, for whatever reason, so she decided to drop it.

"Well, I guess you have been busy. You're working on a new exhibit, am I correct?"

He nodded, noticeably more relaxed.

"It should be completed in a few months."

"I'll be excited to see it." She cut into the chicken and took a bite. The tender meat melted in her mouth. In her three years there, she'd sampled a lot of the restaurant's offerings but never this particular dish. She preferred her mother's soup, of course, but she had to admit, this tasted pretty good.

"I'll have to invite you to the premiere."

He said it so suddenly she almost choked.

"Really?" she mumbled with her mouth full of food. Blushing at her garbled speech, she cast her eyes down at the table and gulped her food down, hand over her mouth.

Great. Next her jaw would be literally dropping in her lap.

"That is, if you're still my fan at the end of the next few weeks." Yi Jeong grinned at her, undeterred by her faux pas.

Emboldened, Ga Eul answered, "I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I suppose it depends on the kind of company you have."

"So no more Go In Na's?"

Ga Eul nodded affirmatively.

"That's a start," she said. Stuffing a much smaller bite of chicken into her mouth, Ga Eul swallowed it down with water.

Yi Jeong gave an exaggerated sigh and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Well, that cuts my list in half. At that rate, you'll only be serving me one or two more weeks anyway."

"Certainly not." Ga Eul pointed at him with her spoon. "You reserved this room for the whole ten weeks. You better keep coming in or my manager might think I ran you off."

Yi Jeong leaned in, setting his arms down on the table, one on each side of his bowl.

"Well, in exchange for eliminating so many candidates for me, I'll make sure you still get paid."

"Good." She nodded and scooped up another piece of chicken. Dipped it in the broth. "I have a grand lifestyle to keep up. Chicken and beer every Saturday night." She gestured toward him with her spoon again. " _Every_ Saturday."

Lifting her spoon to her mouth, she took another bite. Tried not to focus on him watching her chew.

Though, honestly, he could watch her do almost anything and she wouldn't care.

"Miss Ga Eul, have you ever been to an auction?" he asked.

Swallowing, she clarified, "An auction?"

"Yes. An art auction."

"Uh, no," she answered, blushing slightly. Auctions were for people like him. People with money.

She'd watched an auction on TV once, if that counted.

"If you'd like to do something else this Saturday night, there's an exhibit premiere at the Woo Sung Museum. It's reservation only. Do you know Kate Malone?"

"The famous British ceramic artist? Oh, I heard you were getting some of her pieces." Ga Eul couldn't help but bounce in her chair a bit. Kate Malone was another of her favorite artists.

"She'll be speaking at the exhibit. There will also be a private auction afterward for charity." He pulled out his phone. "I'll put your name on the guest list."

"O-on the? I-I mean, thank you. Thank you very much. That sounds wonderful."

"And your roommate too. Geum Jan Di, yes?"

"Oh. Yes!"

"Done." He set his phone back on the table. "Just think of it as me furthering your education. I am your 'Sunbae' after all."

"Yes. Thank you, Yi Jeong Sunbae."

She touched her hair absently before remembering she had it up.

"Don't mention it."

He returned his attention to the food, and she tried to do the same, but it was hard to concentrate with her insides twitching like they might burst apart.

The rest of dinner passed by before she knew it, and when it was over she wished she'd paid closer attention to everything so she could replay it more accurately in her mind that night as she drifted off to sleep.

If she could sleep.

Once dessert had been cleared away, Yi Jeong bid her good night, saying he hated to rush off but he had to go meet someone.

She hoped that 'someone' wasn't a woman.

Catching him by the arm as he headed out the door, she asked, "Excuse me, but...for the auction...is there a dress code?"

He turned around, halfway in and halfway out of the room. Looked her over.

She wondered what he saw.

"Don't worry about that. I'll have something sent."

"Sent?"

"Text me your sizes. Yours and Jan Di's. And your address."

"Oh, b-but..." she stammered and started out the door behind him, but he was already hurrying down the hallway, lifting his hand in a parting gesture without looking back.

When he fell out of sight, she staggered back into the room.

_I'll put your name on the guest list._

_I'll have something sent._

_Something sent._

Wait. Did this mean she was his _date_? Why else would he send her something to wear?

But he hadn't said the word 'date,' had he? Just that he would 'put her on the list.'

Her _and_ Jan Di. Like they were a package deal.

Not that she didn't want Jan Di to come with her. It was just...

Maybe she should have asked for clarification.

No, no. If he had meant it as a date, he would have said 'date.'

And he wouldn't have invited her roommate.

Right? _Right_?

Ga Eul groaned.

Leave it to her to get an ambiguous invitation from a handsome chaebol who was almost engaged.

She was definitely dreaming now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are wondering...the next chapter will cover the exhibit and the auction. I'm also hoping GE doesn't seem OOC with her fangirl moments here; there's simply no built-in conflict between them like there is in BOF...yet. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> First, thank you to the lovely ARandomFangirler for beta-ing this chapter! Your comments really helped me pull all the loose ends together!
> 
> I know it's been a minute. Thanks to everyone who left encouraging reviews in my absence. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the story thus far. A couple of notes:
> 
> In answer to one review, this story is not going to be cancelled. I will finish it. I haven't had much time or energy to write-period-in the past two months, but I am trying to get back into the groove of writing now. That said, I'm not going to promise a regular update schedule. Just being realistic.
> 
> In case you are wondering, I am writing a bonus chapter of what Ji Hoo and Jan Di are up to during this chapter when they are not with Yi Jeong and Ga Eul. That will be posted on my "Two Waitresses" fic.
> 
> Fun Fact: Everyone's outfits in this chapter are the same clothes that they wore to Jun Pyo's birthday party in BOF (i.e. the scene where Madame Kang tried to embarrass Jan Di and she showed her up by playing the piano).
> 
> Okay, that's it. Enjoy! :)

"Yo, yo, yo. What's up, my bros?" Slipping through a crack in the crowd of people hovering around Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo, Woo Bin approached the other two F4 members with a glass of champagne in one hand and a clear box of chocolates in the other.

"What's that?" Yi Jeong pointed at the box, which plainly showcased truffles iced with smiling faces and what looked like hair.

"I got mobbed by fangirls at the door. Security took the girls, but I thought, heck, I might as well take the chocolates." He popped one of the chocolates into his mouth and gave an appreciative nod. "Not bad, not bad. Want one?" He held out the box to the two of them.

Yi Jeong squinted at its contents.

"Are you sure those are for us?" he asked, chuckling. "Those chocolates have a perm. They were probably looking for Jun Pyo."

"That bastard's still in the states. If he's not here to claim 'em, too bad."

"Does that mean his pottery's up for grabs?"

"He probably doesn't know what pottery he's got," Woo Bin answered between munches.

"If he starts living over there like this, I might just help myself." Yi Jeong sighed and tucked his hands into his pants pockets. For tonight's event, he'd chosen a gray suit with a white shirt, a mustard gold vest, and a brown bow tie with gray dots, while Ji Hoo was dressed in his signature white—a white bow tie and white suit with black trim over a black dress shirt. Woo Bin had opted for a flashier magenta suit jacket over his otherwise all white ensemble.

"So," Woo Bin prompted, "is there a reason why we're standing in the lobby? Let's take this party inside the—"

"We're waiting," Ji Hoo answered, opening his mouth for the first time since Woo Bin arrived.

"Waiting? For what?" Woo Bin asked.

Yi Jeong ignored Woo Bin's inquisitive stare—and his question.

Of course, he was waiting on Ga Eul and Jan Di, standing close enough to the door to make sure they got inside without an issue. But as Ga Eul wasn't exactly his date—he didn't know what to call her—he had conflicting feelings about whether to do the gentlemanly thing and escort her and her friend around all evening. Truth be told, he hadn't planned on the invitation at all, but he'd enjoyed talking to her the other night and had gotten a bit carried away. He'd even sent her and her friend designer dresses for the event. She'd probably think it extravagant, but really, it wasn't much of an expense to him. Except that it was an indication of a frequent theme of their relationship—namely, him getting carried away in the moment. He had to stop doing that before things got out of hand.

So, actually, he _wasn't_ waiting on her. He was talking to his friends. And if she happened to come in and he happened to see her, then obviously he should greet her properly. And then, since she'd come all that way, it would only be polite to show her around.

"Yi Jeong's getting cold feet," Ji Hoo supplied as the silence between the three of them dragged on.

"Cold feet? What? Are all your potential wives in there?" Woo Bin smirked, popping another chocolate into his mouth.

"No." _Thank god._ "Only two of them." Park Ha Jin, his first date, whom he'd spotted giggling with a group of friends. And Park Se Ri, his third date, who he wasn't concerned about.

Sometimes, Yi Jeong swore if Ji Hoo wasn't one of his best friends he would have punched him in the gut a long time ago.

At present, he glared at the young doctor, who shuffled his feet and smiled pleasantly back at him as if the entire world were a sea of calm.

Unlike the people sweeping en masse through the museum doors, some of them making a beeline for the trio.

He still didn't see the two people he'd been looking for since they'd come out to the lobby some twenty minutes earlier.

Had something come up?

He hadn't gotten a text from Ga Eul, though, except to thank him—profusely—for the dresses.

Anyway, he didn't know why he was worrying about her—about them. In truth, he barely knew Ga Eul, and he still didn't know what had possessed him to invite her there, save for the self-serving notion that he liked to distract himself with the company of beautiful girls.

"Hey! Yi Jeong!" Woo Bin waved a hand in front of his face.

Yi Jeong blinked and tried to focus on the words coming out of Woo Bin's mouth.

"Mind telling me what Ji Hoo is talking about? You know I only understand every fourth sentence he says."

Yi Jeong opened his mouth, trying to form a reasonable response, but he didn't get a chance to answer before a familiar voice called out to him.

"Yi Jeong Sunbae!"

The familiar voice was followed by a familiar figure; she materialized in the middle of the lobby, a vision in cream, gold, and pink lace. He'd had his stylist pick out the dress, and he had to confess she'd delivered exactly what he asked for: nothing too showy, a short-sleeve dress with a modest neckline and an A-line skirt that stopped just above the knee. The simplicity of the dress highlighted Ga Eul's natural beauty, accented by the light makeup he suspected she'd done herself. Instead of the neat, twisted bun she wore at work, her hair trailed down her back and around her shoulders in soft, loose curls.

She looked...gorgeous, actually. Like a delicate flower.

Geum Jan Di stood beside Ga Eul in a short flowery pink dress with a fluffy underskirt and a bow at the waist, her shoulders covered by a white faux fur bolero jacket. The two of them walked uncertainly forward on gold heels across the checkered cream and grey marble floor, arms linked together. A group of over-excited girls blew past them in their rush to get the attention of the F4—or rather, the F3—and they folded protectively into each other. Thankfully, the small crowd in front of the trio parted peacefully to let the pair through when Yi Jeong waved them over, all of the women in the crowd sizing the new girls up.

Putting to rest any doubt about their right to be there, Yi Jeong took Ga Eul by the arm and guided her into the small circle. The rest of the women gave a wider berth, and some of them dispersed, casting envying looks over their shoulders.

As he let go of her arm, Yi Jeong noticed Ga Eul's hand looked much better; she'd left it unwrapped, and the stitches seemed to be working their magic.

"This is Chu Ga Eul, and you've already met Geum Jan Di. Miss Ga Eul, this is my friend Song Woo Bin, and of course you already know the doctor. "

"Good evening," the two girls greeted them and bowed.

"I've never been in here with so many people before." Ga Eul looked around, fidgeting with her sparkling pink clutch.

"It would be nice if this many people were enthused about the arts on an average weekday," Yi Jeong replied, offering her his arm and flashing his signature smile, ignoring the way Woo Bin gawked at him. He'd deal with his pesky questions later. "The exhibit's this way. Shall we go?"

"Oh?" Ga Eul didn't take his arm. Instead, she glanced at Jan Di uncertainly. "Jan Di, will you be okay?"

The gesture impressed him; most girls would have latched onto him and abandoned whoever they'd come with without a second thought.

On the other hand, the irritating part of his brain that insisted on wanting Ga Eul there also made him want her all to himself.

Thankfully, Ji Hoo leapt to his rescue and offered his arm to her friend.

"Geum Jan Di, would you do me the honor?"

For once, Yi Jeong was grateful for his friend's nosiness.

"Oh." Jan Di paused, casting a similar uncertain glance towards Ga Eul. For a moment, he thought she'd insist on sticking next to her friend. "Well," she continued, giving Ji Hoo a small smile, "I guess that's okay. Have fun, Ga Eul." Jan Di thanked Ji Hoo and took his arm, and Ga Eul, seemingly satisfied that her friend wouldn't be left alone, lightly touched her palm to the crook of Yi Jeong's elbow.

As they entered the main hall of the museum, with its cream walls and checkered marble floor, the waitress oohed and aahed over the decorations. Sprigs of baby's breath had been bunched together in artfully placed vases throughout the hall. The refreshments table had been garnished with tiny pearl beads and white roses intertwined with baby's breath. Overhead, more white roses had been wrapped around the limbs of the electric gold metal candelabras hanging from the tall cream-colored ceiling. Gold draping swung from candelabra to candelabra, creating a canopy of gold silk.

In the warm white lights, which had been turned up to their full effect, he tried to see these adornments as she saw them, but it was impossible. One of the pitfalls of growing up surrounded by beauty was that he'd become immune to it—unable to be awed by what he'd seen a million times.

Perhaps that was why Yi Jeong preferred to be surrounded by things he could create with his hands. On beauty that didn't strike him as totally superficial. Though all art, of course, boiled down to what was on the surface and how that surface affected the viewer, the artist knew the toil and inspiration that went into each piece.

The two of them walked around for a while, discussing the pieces on display. It was nice to have an intelligent conversation about art with a girl who knew what she was talking about. He found out that she had started learning pottery around the same age as him, which was one reason she so passionately wanted to teach it to children. She talked animatedly about her student-teaching, and he spoke vaguely about the new pieces he was working on. In truth, he'd been having trouble finding inspiration lately, but he didn't tell her that. No need to ruin her awed fangirlish perception of him.

At some point, Ga Eul relaxed more and held on to his arm like she belonged there.

They didn't look bad together, he thought, when he happened to notice their reflection in an ancient silver platter that had been displayed against one wall. He let his gaze drop down the smooth curves of her petite figure, down the dark curls brushing her creamy skin, while she appeared transfixed by a white bowl with twining yellow flowers in the display case to their right.

There was something magnetic about her that he couldn't put a name to, that kept drawing him in.

"Yi Jeong Sunbae." She spun to face him suddenly, and he quickly snapped his gaze back to her face.

Maybe not quickly enough.

She didn't seem to notice.

"What's your favorite part of the museum?" She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling, curious.

"Hmm, that depends. Do you mean the building or the displays?"

"Well, I meant the displays. But since we're on the subject, what is the best part of the building?"

Surveying the room for effect, he leaned in and lowered his voice. "It's a secret. Not open to the public. But if you want, I can show you."

"Right now?" She looked around. Though she kept her tone light, he couldn't miss the nervous quiver of her mouth.

"After the auction." He winked.

"Oh." Glancing down, she smoothed out part of her dress before answering. "Okay, I'd like that."

Nodding, he continued, "Shall we continue then?"

Ga Eul nodded.

They made a second lap around the room. Kate Malone said a few words to the group, and after that he brought a starstruck Ga Eul over to meet her. Then it was about time for the auction to start, so they stopped by the refreshments table where Ga Eul helped herself to a slice of cake. She couldn't stop rambling about the British artist for a few minutes, and Yi Jeong listened amusedly, sipping on his third glass of champagne.

He'd met Kate Malone before. Twice, actually.

"You should take a picture of something you've made and show me next time," he said when she finally stopped for air.

"Ah, you mean, next Friday?" Her face was flushed.

Next Friday. During his fifth date. He'd nearly forgotten about those in the past hour.

"Uh, yes."

"Or I could message you a picture." Ga Eul smiled shyly over the bite of cake on her fork.

Because she had his phone number. Right.

"That would be fine too."

"Yi Jeong!" Yi Jeong looked over his shoulder to see Park Se Ri approaching him, looking oddly seductive in a floor-length, one-shouldered, deep blue dress with a slit up one side. She seemed to be in high spirits.

"Oh. Good evening, Se Ri."

Se Ri stopped between him and Ga Eul and replied brightly, "Good evening." Bouncing on her toes, she looked over at Ga Eul. "Excuse me, but have we met? You look awfully familiar."

"Oh...um..." Ga Eul glanced up at him, uncertainty washing over her face.

"Oh, I know! You were at the restaurant the other night." Se Ri looked at Yi Jeong for confirmation.

"Miss Ga Eul is majoring in pottery," Yi Jeong explained. "I thought it might be a good experience for her." He gestured around the room.

"Oh, of course." Park Se Ri smiled. If she thought it odd that he was here with his waitress, she didn't show it. Instead, she continued, "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, but you're going to have to take me off your list. A miracle has happened!"

"Oh? What sort of miracle?"

"Remember I told you about my boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Well, I must confess, I didn't take your advice. But I thought my father would take it better if I asked instead of him, so...I did it! I asked my father if I could marry him!"

Yi Jeong raised his eyebrows.

That was...unexpected.

"And?"

"He said yes!" Se Ri squealed, and her shoulders shook with uncontainable happiness. "Anyway, I thought it would be more polite if I told you in person. And I wanted to thank you. Just talking to you helped me clear my head."

"Oh." Yi Jeong chuckled nervously. "However, I didn't say—"

"I know you didn't. But that's when I started thinking. There's probably a million reasons why I shouldn't ask this. But if there's even an infinitesimal chance that my father would be okay with it, I have to try. Don't you think?"

"Well, I—"

"So, I just wanted to thank you. Again. Anyway, I'll let you get back to your date. Have a good evening." She bowed to both of them and walked away before Yi Jeong could form a coherent response.

He probably should have corrected her on that point—the point about Ga Eul being his date—but it was too late now.

Well, she was his date—but not his date. Not really. Being his date would entail them doing...other things.

Beside him, Ga Eul stared down at her plate of cake, soberly stuffing one bite after the other into her mouth.

Maybe she'd felt awkward seeing one of his marriage dates there.

His marriage dates.

Right. He was getting married.

Just the thought of it made his head start to ache.

He checked his watch.

"The auction is about to start. Shall we join the others?" He smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood.

Looking up at him, Ga Eul nodded, her expression unreadable.

They followed a smaller group of people into another room where burgundy cushioned wood chairs had been set out in neat rows—eight across and ten down. Not everyone who had been invited to the exhibit had also been invited to the auction, and there were still plenty of people milling around outside.

Yi Jeong usually sat at the front at events like these, but he didn't know if Ga Eul would be comfortable with that, so once Woo Bin and his arm candy for the night entered along with Ji Hoo and Jan Di he guided the group of six to a spot in the middle and off to the right side.

Yi Jeong sat at the end of the row, with Ga Eul beside him and Jan Di beside her. Next was Ji Hoo, followed by Woo Bin and the other girl.

"What's being auctioned off?" Ga Eul whispered, leaning in his direction a bit but not touching him or looking at him.

"It's the personal collection of one of the museum's former directors. His only son just died, so they've put the entire collection up for auction," he answered. The auctioneer was setting up his notes on a podium that had been placed on the temporary, raised stage.

"Oh." Ga Eul nodded.

A few minutes passed in awkward silence. More people crowded into the room, and then the staff closed the doors. The auctioneer droned on about the director himself for a while and then presented the first piece.

Normally, Yi Jeong would be studying the room, noting the important people present, and then scrutinizing the artwork being auctioned off to see which pieces might look good in his personal collection. Tonight, however, he found himself glancing over at Ga Eul to note her reactions, to see what pieces piqued her interest. To his surprise, at one point he noticed Ji Hoo and Jan Di conferring privately about something to the other side of Ga Eul. They looked quite cozy together for only having met a second time, and Ji Hoo looking cozy with anyone would have made Yi Jeong do a double take. The man wasn't exactly known for socializing.

"Ah, so pretty," Ga Eul mumbled, drawing his attention back to her soft smile. He looked up to see what had caught her interest.

A skinny, bottle-necked vase adorned with the swirling red and green shades of autumn, probably the cheapest item in the collection. Certainly not the finest pottery ever produced by that particular artist. But the auctioneer was pontificating about a legend that the artist had created it for a woman he called his soulmate. The lady had died young from a then-untreatable disease, and the artist himself had died an alcoholic a few years afterward.

A broken heart. He'd died of a broken heart, the auctioneer was saying, clearly hoping to sell the piece for much more than its artistry would merit.

Soulmates.

What bullshit.

But Ga Eul looked like she might cry.

Yi Jeong sighed.

Women.

A lady in the back called out an offer, followed by a counter offer from another woman up front.

Yep. Women.

"I know. Isn't it awful?" Ga Eul whispered, leaning in towards him with her expressive brown eyes full of tears. "I had to do a report on his life in my art history class," she continued. "It was so sad."

"Don't believe everything you read. Anyway, if you did a report on him, you know he didn't die from the alcohol. He died because he caught pneumonia."

"Well, yes, but that's...still sad." She frowned. "It's not happy, at least."

"No. No, I guess not," he conceded. A smile tugged at his lips. Even upset, she looked cute.

"He must have loved her a lot," Ga Eul continued, her eyes drifting back to the vase. "He used such warm colors."

'He probably made that vase while he was drunk,' Yi Jeong thought but kept the comment to himself.

"Well...the vase _is_ named 'Autumn,'" he replied instead.

The auctioneer rapped his gavel on the podium.

The piece had been sold to a man on their left who offered an outrageous sum at the last minute.

He was probably taking it home to his wife.

Yi Jeong scoffed inwardly and adjusted himself on his chair.

Crossing his legs, he leaned toward Ga Eul and told her to let him know if she saw anything she liked.

Aside from that vase, obviously.

He usually made that offer at the beginning of an auction, but, again, Ga Eul wasn't technically his date.

She gave him a small nod but said nothing, her face set resolutely ahead.

In fact, she remained silent throughout the rest of the auction. When it ended, he was unsure if she would want to go off with him. But when he asked her if she still wanted to see his favorite place, she gave him an enthusiastic yes. She only needed to go to the restroom first.

Which left Yi Jeong alone with an inquisitively staring Jan Di while Woo Bin dragged Ji Hoo off to settle an argument about violinists...or something.

"Ga Eul was really excited about tonight," Jan Di said once Woo Bin and Ji Hoo had disappeared into the crowd. "Thanks for this. I think her artist's heart is very happy right now." She wore a gold wire headband and dangling gold heart earrings that winked in the light as she tilted her head from side to side. She was cute but not quite on Ga Eul's level. At least not to his appraising eye.

"It's nothing." Yi Jeong shrugged the compliment off. "And are you enjoying yourself, Miss Jan Di?"

"Yes. Your friend is very nice. Quiet, but nice."

"You two looked like you were talking enough."

"Well." Jan Di blushed. She arched her eyebrow. "Maybe we were having a laugh at your expense."

Yi Jeong laughed, but Jan Di's expression grew suddenly serious.

"Yi Jeong Sunbae. May I call you that?"

"Sure."

He gave her a relaxed smile.

"Ga Eul's not here right now," Jan Di continued soberly, "so I'm going to ask you directly." She cocked her head, and the light danced across the tiny clear stones in her headband. "What do you want with my best friend?"

Her gaze carried a hint of suspicion, and the question itself took him aback.

Earlier he thought she looked nervous being left alone with Ji Hoo, but maybe she'd simply been worried about Ga Eul. She didn't seem unfriendly, but something in her eyes told him she'd murder him if he messed around with her friend.

Yi Jeong turned on his most charming smile.

"I can see why Ga Eul calls you her best friend. You've been looking out for each other since kindergarten, am I right?"

"Yah. Just answer the question." She straightened herself up like she might appear more intimidating that way, and he nearly laughed.

Commoners. Sometimes he found their indignance irritating; other times it was quaintly amusing.

"Don't worry. I swear my intentions with your friend are completely honorable." He held up his hands, hoping she would stop firing flaming arrows at him with her eyes.

Jan Di crossed her arms. "We'll see."

"Anyway, if you have any concerns," he continued genially, "you know where to find me for the next few weeks."

"Hmm, well, yes," she said, but she looked even more wary than before. Her mouth had a pinched expression about it, her forehead creasing ever so slightly.

"Sorry, is something else bothering you?"

"Just...Ga Eul's a good person." She shifted uncomfortably and looked out over the padded chairs now being collected. "Please don't let her misunderstand something."

He was about to ask her what she meant by that when Ga Eul returned from the restroom, followed by Ji Hoo and Woo Bin. Jan Di immediately greeted her with a bubbly smile and wished them a nice tour. But he could feel her eyes pinned to his back as he led Ga Eul away.

He took Ga Eul on a quick tour of the museum offices first. Meeting rooms. Exhibits currently being held in storage. Places the general public never saw. Then they headed up the stairwell to the rooftop that overlooked the cityscape at night. His favorite place.

Other than a few questions about the museum itself, Ga Eul had stayed relatively quiet for most of the tour—at least compared to how talkative she'd been at the beginning of the night. Yi Jeong had nearly decided to ask if something was bothering her when she spoke up.

"I just want to thank you for...for inviting me again...and for the dress. I can have it cleaned and return it. Jan Di's parents own a dry cleaners, so that's no problem."

"No, no, it's fine. Don't worry about the dress. You should keep it."

"Oh...well...okay." Nodding, she fidgeted with the lace on the dress in question, shifting her weight as she glanced around at the scenery.

"Is there...something else you wanted to ask?"

"Uh, no." Ga Eul shook her head. "It's such a nice view." She walked over to the metal railing, leaning over it to peer down at the lamplit streets below. "Do you come up here a lot?"

"Sometimes." He stepped closer to stand beside her. When he was little, he would come up there to get away from his parent's latest fight; it had been his secret hideout.

Now he usually only came there when he was trying to impress a lady.

Though he wasn't sure what he thought he would gain by impressing Ga Eul.

"I like it," she said.

Ga Eul turned her face toward him again, smiling, her eyes sparkling in the bright light reflecting off a nearby neon sign. The wind whipped her hair back from her face. Messing up her delicate curls.

A blush colored her cheeks. Or maybe that was the makeup. Maybe the lighting.

Whatever.

Suddenly, he wanted to kiss her.

And when Yi Jeong wanted something, he went for it. No questions asked.

Nevertheless, he tilted his head down slowly, giving her plenty of time to back away if she wanted to. But she didn't seem to want to, her eyes meeting his and then fluttering closed as their lips almost touched.

A jarring blast of music interrupted them.

Jumping back, Ga Eul fumbled with her pink evening bag.

"Oh, I'm...I'm so sorry. It must be my phone. I forgot to put it on silent." She fished out the offending object, which blared an annoying pop song at an ungodly decibel. "Oh, Sunbae, it's my mother. I should probably take this."

"No, no, go ahead. It's fine," he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Sorry," she repeated. Giving him a sheepish smile, she backed away, mumbling 'hello' into the phone.

Once she'd turned her back, he cursed under his breath.

He stood there awkwardly while she talked to her mother, shifting his weight from one leg to the other and trying to decide how best to proceed once she hung up. If it had been anyone else, he would merely suggest they pick up where they'd left off. But he hadn't brought her up there to kiss her.

Had he?

"Sunbae." Ga Eul hung up her phone and slipped it back in her purse. "I'm sorry, but I think I better get going."

"Is something the matter?" The concern on her face made him forget his own discomfort.

"Well, it seems that my mother isn't feeling too well, and...well, my father's on a business trip this weekend. I think I better go see about her." She twisted her hands agitatedly around her purse.

"Oh. No problem. Do you need Ji Hoo—"

"Oh, no, no." She waved her hand. "It's nothing that serious. I'm just going to get her medicine and fix her some soup and make sure she's resting."

"Ah, I see. Sure. Let me call my driver, and he can take you."

"Well, I can take a cab." She bit her lip. "I guess I better tell Jan Di."

"Don't be silly. My driver's already here. I'll get him to take you." Pulling out his own phone, he tapped in a quick message. "Done. About Jan Di...if she wants to stay longer, Ji Hoo can drive her home." He gestured to an imaginary Ji Hoo.

"Ah, but...are you sure he wouldn't mind?"

"Not unless you think she would mind."

Ga Eul seemed to consider that.

"They did look like they were getting along earlier, didn't they?" She smiled, seeming to relax at the thought of their two friends enjoying each other's company.

"Getting along?" Yi Jeong kept his tone light. "Ji Hoo doesn't even talk to me that much, and we've been friends since kindergarten. Tell you what. We'll go ask them, and in the meantime my driver can pull the car around."

Ga Eul waited a beat, then answered, "Okay."

"Okay, let's go." He led the way back to the stairs, pausing to let her go down first.

They didn't speak on the way back to their friends, and after he'd arranged for Jan Di to go back with Ji Hoo, they didn't speak on the way to his car. His driver had pulled around to the entrance of the underground parking garage, and he said an awkward goodbye to her there.

At least, it felt awkward to him. He couldn't read her expression.

After she left, he found himself heading back up to the rooftop instead of mingling with the lingering guests. He took off his suit jacket and slung it over one arm as he leaned against the metal railing. Right about where he'd been standing with her. The wind rippling his dress shirt and slapping his face echoed his swirling thoughts.

They hadn't kissed.

But they'd almost kissed.

Somehow, that was worse than if they'd actually kissed.

Because if they'd kissed, he could convince himself she was like any other girl he'd ever kissed in his life.

Surely, her kiss wasn't so special.

He could tell himself he was scratching a momentary itch, nothing more.

But the fact that he couldn't stop replaying that moment, and wondering what would have happened if her phone hadn't rang, only confirmed his terrifying belief that he was falling for someone again.

He was falling for her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the beta love to ARandomFangirler / nebulousviolet :)
> 
> Thanks for all the lovely reviews so far! :)
> 
> I now have a Spotify playlist for this fic because music is my muse. Ten songs for ten dates.
> 
> Here's the direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vFwPdtvRM7dBWaZWS4URT?si=8Vrih3ZMT8GWmK_ztG_ciQ
> 
> Or you can type "Ten Dates" into the search bar on Spotify, and mine is the only playlist under that name. Or you can copy the following into Google, and it should prompt you to open Spotify:
> 
> spotify:playlist:1vFwPdtvRM7dBWaZWS4URT
> 
> And now...
> 
> One step forward, two steps back…

Ga Eul's stomach was in knots. She'd only eaten plain rice for lunch, and even that threatened to come up as she stood in front of the gold-framed octagonal bathroom mirror in the ladies' restroom. A combination of modern simplicity and showy opulence, the restroom featured gold metal doors and rectangular gold metal wall lamps, ensconced in their skeletal frames mid-way along each backlit, over-the-sink mirror. The lounge on the other side of the restroom had several plush gold velvet ottomans, bunched together, and a long white marble counter that curved in a half-circle around the room. The counter offered complimentary face masks and several gold-rimmed vanity mirrors for makeup application. A crystal chandelier hung over the central cluster of ottomans, casting its glittering white light over a stack of fashion magazines on a small, circular gold metal table with hairpin metal legs.

The restroom smelled faintly of cinnamon. Fresh glass bowls of potpourri appeared on the white marble ledge in front of the sinks every few weeks.

Cloves, dried flower petals, and cinnamon sticks. Always cinnamon sticks.

Not that Ga Eul didn't like cinnamon, but now she would forever associate the scent with this job.

And today everything was turning her stomach.

One of her coworkers came out of a stall to wash her hands. Ga Eul gave her a small smile and turned on the sleek gold metal tap in front of her. She stared at the shimmering gold and white tile backsplash and washed her own hands for a third time, watching the water splash down the wide white marble basin. She wished she could jump into a river and float away.

Saturday night had felt like a dream, like a fairy tale. Right down to the fancy dress that had been delivered, like magic, to her door that afternoon. Right down to So Yi Jeong himself, who had escorted her around the museum like a prince showing off his castle.

Right down to the part where she woke up in her bedroom the next morning, exhausted and with the inexplicable urge to cry.

She liked Yi Jeong, she'd realized.

But not like a fan. She, like, genuinely liked him. As a person.

Her coworker left. Cold air swished around Ga Eul as the bathroom door closed.

Ga Eul turned the tap off. Put her cold, wet hands up to her neck. Her face. Her forehead.

Her body felt hot and claustrophobic in her uniform despite the air conditioning.

Breathable fabric, her butt.

Yi Jeong would be there in twenty minutes, and she was supposed to be setting up for his date that evening. Instead, she was hiding out in the bathroom, trying to get her heart rate to go down.

What the heck was she supposed to say to him?

How was she supposed to act after what had happened?

Or...what had _almost_ happened?

From the beginning of the night, Yi Jeong had treated her like his date. Except for the auction, they hadn't even hung around his friends.

But then Se Ri had shown up and reminded her of how she had come to meet him in the first place, and after that she couldn't help but feel confused for the rest of the evening as to what he wanted with her. She couldn't fully relax.

But then he'd tried to kiss her.

He _had_ tried to kiss her, right?

He'd leaned in first.

Right?!

Replaying the moment in her head, she wasn't so sure.

It had been dark, even with the lights on the rooftop and the neon signs.

Closing her eyes, she remembered the outline of his gray suit jacket, his polka dotted bow tie, his stylishly swept back hair, the faint smirk that always played at his mouth.

But she couldn't tell if he had started moving first or if she had.

Or if it had happened so quickly she'd misread the situation.

Maybe he'd leaned in to tell her something. Like he'd done in the museum.

_It's a secret. Not open to the public. But if you want, I can show you._

Her cheeks heated up just thinking about his face being so close to hers.

Agh, she didn't know where her brain was at!

She'd misread him. That had to be it. Like before when she thought he was flirting with her.

After all, he hadn't responded to the photos of her pottery she'd texted him, and she'd sent those four days ago.

She supposed he could have been busy, but still...He had _asked_ to see some of her pieces.

Maybe he had only been making conversation.

Probably.

Besides, he had a date tonight. With someone who was very much _not her._

With someone who would be arriving in—she checked her phone—eighteen minutes.

Ga Eul took a deep breath and used the wetness on her fingers to press a few unruly hairs in place. She straightened out her uniform until she looked as polished and pristine as the marble floors beneath her feet.

A prop instead of a person.

Like the stupid potpourri.

Ignoring the twinge of jealousy at the thought of him having another woman on his arm, she pulled a white paper towel from the gold dispenser and instructed herself to think professional thoughts only.

Although it was quite clear they had already crossed that line.

One way or the other.

* * *

"Ga Eul...Ga Eul...Ga Eul."

"What?! Dong Suk, quit poking me!" Ga Eul exclaimed. She leaned across Dong Suk's tall, gangly body to grab a black serving tray. Thankfully, the noise in the kitchen had risen to peak levels, so she felt somewhat certain he wouldn't continue pestering her when they had to shout to be heard.

She was wrong.

Lowering his head down to her ear so that she could hear him clearly over the clatter—though she hoped no one else could hear him—Dong Suk asked, "Are you going on another _date_ tonight?"

Turning her back to him, Ga Eul arranged two cloth-wrapped sets of utensils on the serving tray.

"For the last time...No!" she stated emphatically. She concentrated on grabbing the other items she needed to set up Yi Jeong's table, hoping Dong Suk didn't notice her shoulders tensing. Her plan to not think about her unusual relationship with Yi Jeong had been shattered as soon as she'd exited the restroom, with Dong Suk sneaking up behind her and asking her if 'lover boy' had arrived yet.

He hadn't shut up since.

"Good. I don't want to have to beat anyone up," Dong Suk called out; he leaned back against the stainless steel counter, arms crossed.

Honestly, Ga Eul didn't know when he worked. Even during their busiest hours, she'd find him calmly chatting with one person or another while she ran around like a madwoman.

They'd worked together for three years, having started at the restaurant within weeks of each other. Dong Suk had 'seniority,' as he liked to remind her.

Three weeks worth.

Sometimes he used that fact to annoy the crap out of her, but he could also be protective of her, like an older brother. He was her best friend at the restaurant, and Jan Di had teased her that Dong Suk must like her until Ga Eul blithely informed her that Dong Suk did not, in fact, swing that way. A fact that she was quite certain a lot of their female customers were oblivious to, if the amount of phone numbers he'd collected over the years was anything to go by.

Once he'd tricked one of the new servers into thinking he had gotten Lee Hyori's number; the poor guy had paid his whole week's earnings for it, only to realize five minutes into the call that he was actually on a phone sex hotline with a woman pretending to be Lee Hyori for fantasy's sake. At least Dong Suk had returned the money—minus a few won for 'being so gullible'—but Ga Eul had been forever warning him his antics would backfire on him one day.

To that end, she hoped he would leave the whole Yi Jeong situation alone.

Ga Eul waited till one of their coworkers walked past and out of earshot to reply, softly but firmly, "Not that you would understand, but Yi Jeong is a complete gentleman. He's been nothing but polite to me."

"He's a known playboy."

"He's an artist," Ga Eul retorted.

Dong Suk snickered. "Yeah, that's what they call it."

"You're just as bad as Jan Di."

"Oh yeah? What did she say?"

"Nothing. Just...that I should be careful." Ga Eul shrugged like it was nothing.

"She's right. Don't get carried away. You've probably already served his future wife."

"Gosh, thanks." Ga Eul gave him a look and started out of the kitchen.

She could already tell this was going to be a long night.

* * *

Ga Eul finished setting up Yi Jeong's table with a few minutes to spare, hoping to talk to him before his date got there and clear away some of the awkwardness. Unfortunately, Yi Jeong arrived precisely at seven, accompanied by his date for the evening, whom she quickly learned had been driven there by Yi Jeong.

Well, that certainly broke tradition, as all his other dates had arrived separately.

The two of them sat down, and Yi Jeong only gave Ga Eul a cursory nod before turning all of his attention—his carefully curated charm—onto his date.

Kim Ara. Model turned fashion mogul. She'd seen her in perfume commercials and, more recently, in an ad for her own line of designer handbags. The general public thought her an absolute angel for her philanthropic endeavors. She supposed for Yi Jeong's family that would be good press all around.

Unfortunately, she looked even more beautiful in person. A tall, leggy socialite in red lipstick and black and white striped Louboutins. With a waist size Ga Eul hadn't had since middle school. Her glossy auburn ombre hair cascaded around her shoulders in soft waves, framing her delicate, blemish-free face. She wore a sheer, high-neck black top over a black camisole, cinched at the waist with a tight, knee-length white skirt with black trim, managing to look elegant, business-like, and sensuous all at the same time. Two layers of clear gemstones curved around the neck of the blouse, matching the clear stones on the latch of her black evening bag, which she laid casually on the table next to Yi Jeong's phone.

Ga Eul bet she was one of those girls whose lipstick never smudged while they ate.

For whom the act of eating itself resembled a delicate dance. All graceful curves of the wrist and alluring twists of the mouth.

No crunching. No slurping. No talking with her mouth full.

Ga Eul already hated her.

And, of course, she liked the same kind of wine as Yi Jeong—sauvignon blanc again.

The foreign words rolled smoothly off Ara's tongue in an affected, polished manner.

Maybe she spoke French. Maybe she spoke five languages. Fluently.

Yi Jeong didn't meet Ga Eul's eyes when he asked for a bottle of the wine. Or when she came back in with the bottle. Or when she began pouring the wine into his glass, careful to keep her hands steady and her breaths even.

Ga Eul poured Ara's glass and set the bottle down with more force than she should have.

Yi Jeong looked directly at Ga Eul then for the first time since he'd come in, which she supposed was her intent, but his eyes were a complete blank.

Like he didn't know her at all.

Like she was just the waitress.

Well.

She supposed she was.

Just the waitress.

Pursing her lips, Ga Eul asked if they needed anything else before the food was brought out. Her voice came out strained, foreign-sounding even to her ears.

Instead of answering, Yi Jeong turned to Ara and asked if she wanted anything.

Drawing her lips together in a sickeningly sweet smile, the model cooed in a voice like silk, "May I trouble you for a glass of sparkling water?"

"Of course. Anything else?" She cautioned a glance at Yi Jeong, but he didn't look at her again. The condensation on his water glass seemed to interest him immensely.

"That will be all," Ara replied. She turned back to Yi Jeong and began talking about a fashion event both of them had attended the month before, leaving Ga Eul with no choice but to back away from the table and head out to get the model her fancy water.

"Sparkling water," she muttered as she passed Dong Suk, who was on his break, slouched against the brick wall in the hallway outside the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of the sparkling damn water and a clean glass and headed back out the double metal doors.

"What?" Dong Suk asked, looking up from his phone when she exited the kitchen.

Ga Eul paused next to him and held up the bottle.

"Our regular water's not good enough for her. She wants _sparkling_ water with her dinner."

"So?"

" _So?_ Next she'll be asking for gold chopsticks...No. Gold forks." She spat out the last word.

"Are you okay?" Dong Suk tilted his head. "You look pissed."

"I...I'm fine...I have to go." Swivelling on her scuffed pumps, she heard Dong Suk mumble an 'okay' after her.

When Ga Eul reentered the room, the two of them were laughing, Ara's musical voice lilting attractively as she swept her hair off to one side.

Ga Eul made her best attempt at a poker face as she poured the sparkling water and informed them she would be back with their appetizers.

The night's menu selection was foie gras with rosemary infused rice and stuffed wild mushrooms. For the appetizer, they would have a salad of roasted beets, radishes, green strawberries, and crisp greens, served with a croissant.

Ga Eul almost sneaked a croissant for herself while she grabbed their dishes; her stomach had transitioned from queasy to starving.

"Let me help you with that." She suddenly felt the tray of food being lifted from her hands and looked up to see Dong Suk carrying it away from her. "You're recovering from an injury, aren't you?" he called out.

"W-what? No, no, I'm fine." She followed him down the hall. "Hey! Aren't you on your break?"

"Yep."

"Well, then shouldn't you be...smoking? Or something?"

"I quit. You said it was bad for me."

"Well, yes, b-but...what are you doing with that?" she demanded, dropping her voice to a whisper as they continued down the hall. "I'm supposed to be the only one in there."

One of the other waiters raised an eyebrow at them as they passed.

"Don't forget, I was there last week," Dong Suk replied.

"But—"

"Just open the door, will you?" He came to an abrupt halt in front of Yi Jeong's private room.

Ga Eul reluctantly opened the door for him when she realized he wasn't going to budge.

Damn it, what was he up to?

She entered the room behind him, unsure of what to do. She supposed she could help him serve the food, but there wasn't that much to serve, and anyway, she never liked to be in the middle of Dong Suk's ideas.

"Thank you for inviting me to the exhibit premiere this past weekend. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it," Ara remarked while Dong Suk served the couple their salads.

Ga Eul tried to melt into the background as Dong Suk arranged everything on the table and then asked, in a tone Ga Eul knew sounded friendly but he actually meant as a threat, if there was anything else they would be needing.

Except he didn't look at Ara when he said it. He looked directly at Yi Jeong, who stared tensely back at him for a long moment before sending him off with a simple 'nothing, thank you.'

She didn't miss the way Yi Jeong's mouth twitched like he wanted to say something else.

Gosh, she hoped Dong Suk didn't get into any trouble.

That was so weird.

Once Dong Suk left the room, Ara's earlier question caught up with her, and her brain shifted into overdrive.

Yi Jeong had invited Ara?

Like, in a blanket invitation, or had Ga Eul been her _replacement_ for the evening?

Yi Jeong, at least, had gotten distracted by Dong Suk's presence, and it took him a moment to respond to Ara's comment.

"Uh...you had a photo shoot, right?" he asked.

Ara nodded.

"For Vogue Korea."

Her replacement. Right.

Like Ga Eul would be replacing _her_.

"Do you know Lee Joo-hyuk?" Ara asked.

Another model, if Ga Eul remembered correctly.

"We've crossed paths a few times. I think he did a campaign for Shinhwa's department stores when we were in school."

"He did. He told me to give my regards to your friend, Jun Pyo. I'm supposed to meet with him this month about my new handbag line."

"Oh? Are you going to the States?"

"A short vacation. At the end of the month." She sighed prettily and took a dainty stab at her lettuce. "But I have to meet with a few people while I'm over there, so I hesitate to call it that."

Oh, the woes of the rich and famous.

Ga Eul barely kept herself from rolling her eyes.

Across from Ara, Yi Jeong crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

"I should take a trip over there myself."

Was he asking her to go on vacation with him? What?

"I never see Jun Pyo these days," he continued.

Who was Jun Pyo again?

Oh, right. His other childhood friend. The one she hadn't met but Ara seemed to know.

"Well, if you make it over there, give me a call. I'll be in New York for one week, then a few days in L.A. The 17th through the 30th." She said something in English Ga Eul couldn't understand, and they both laughed.

And laughed and laughed.

In her honest opinion, Yi Jeong laughed far more than the comment deserved.

Even if she didn't understand it.

The rest of the meal passed in a similar fashion. They threw around names of famous people they knew intimately, or at least passively, and other names she didn't recognize but assumed were important. From what she gathered, they weren't as familiar with each other as Yi Jeong and Se Ri were—Ara had studied abroad during high school—but they were close acquaintances. They ran in the same circles. Knew the same people. Attended a lot of the same social events.

And to be honest, she could imagine them splashed on a billboard together, all complementary lines and colors, each of them so perfectly perfect they wouldn't have to worry about outshining the other. Or looking drab by comparison.

What was that expression? Birds of a feather...

Still, she hoped Yi Jeong would find some excuse to talk to her alone before he left.

She could thank him again for the help with her hand; Ji Hoo had taken her stitches out that Monday.

But he hardly looked at her the entire evening, even when he asked her to fetch dessert or a clean napkin or more wine—he'd finished most of the first bottle himself.

Mid-dessert, Ara asked for more sparkling water, but when she brought a second bottle back from the kitchen, she found that Yi Jeong and Ara had left.

Well, she supposed it made sense that he would drive his date home since he'd driven her there.

But she could also tell he was intentionally avoiding her, and she wasn't sure what to make of that.

She didn't know what to make of anything anymore.

Anytime she thought she understood him, he would throw her into another bout of confusion.

"You okay?"

She turned to see Dong Suk poking his head into the room.

"Um, yeah." Ga Eul attempted a smile. "I'm fine." She set the sparkling water off to the side to deal with later.

"Yeah, don't even try that with me. What did he do?"

Powerless against Dong Suk's all-knowing stare, Ga Eul allowed herself the discouraged frown she'd been holding back for the past hour.

"Nothing," she answered.

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, like, literally nothing." Pivoting on her heel, she walked over to Yi Jeong's table. He'd left his napkin on his plate, his knife and fork arranged parallel to each other on the plate at a ten and four o'clock position. The mark of someone raised to eat at fancy restaurants. "He hasn't said anything to me since Saturday," she continued. "And the whole night he was avoiding eye contact with me. It was weird." Ga Eul shook her head and collected the dessert plates. "But what was the idea coming in here? You could have seriously gotten us both in trouble."

"Ga Eul, he didn't say anything when he found you rifling through his phone." Dong Suk grabbed the wine glasses. "He didn't ask for another waitress even though he clearly didn't want to see you tonight. I highly doubt he's going to get you fired because I told him to fuck off with my eyes. As for me, I'm leaving for my internship in a few weeks, remember? What do I care?" He held out his arms.

"I guess...So, when you were telling him to, um...do that...did he say anything back?"

"Yep."

"What, really? Is this some sort of guy code I wouldn't understand?"

"You could say that."

"So what was it?" she asked as he took the dessert plates out of her hands. Dong Suk stacked the plates on a serving tray with the wine glasses, napkins, and other dining accoutrements.

As he exited the room, he called out behind him, "He told me he's an asshole."

"Yeah," Ga Eul muttered to herself when Dong Suk had disappeared. "That's what I was afraid of."

* * *

"I just don't understand," Ga Eul lamented later that evening, plopping down wearily on the bed. Jan Di had been over the moon earlier that day about securing the job at the clinic, and part of Ga Eul didn't want to bring down the mood, but she needed to sort through the mess in her brain.

And Jan Di was an expert sorter.

"Don't understand what?" Jan Di asked, sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed. She had taken out a box of chocolate truffles and offered Ga Eul one of the gold-wrapped sweets. Ga Eul shook her head and pushed Jan Di's hand away.

Stuffing a chocolate in her mouth, Jan Di chirped, "Oh, guess who came to the porridge shop again today?"

"Who?" Ga Eul perked up, although she doubted Jan Di meant Yi Jeong.

"Ji Hoo Sunbae. He came by to drop off some paperwork for me. But then he stayed and ate and worked on his papers for about two hours. It was nice having the company. We had a slow day today."

"Does Master know you're leaving the shop?"

"Oh, I'm not leaving, actually."

"But I thought you got the job at the clinic?"

"I did. I'm still going to work at the porridge shop, though."

"Jan Di," Ga Eul warned, "don't overwork yourself. You still help out at the dry cleaners as it is."

"I'm not. I'm not," Jan Di protested.

Ga Eul made a face.

"Fine, I'll ask for less hours at the porridge shop. It's not like Master will say 'no.' He can't afford to get rid of me entirely. A face like mine is good for business...Haha, kidding." She smiled around a bite of chocolate-covered caramel. The gooey brown substance oozed out of the core of the half-bitten chocolate, threatening to drip onto Jan Di's cupcake print pink pajama bottoms. She popped the rest of the truffle into her mouth before that could happen.

Ga Eul smiled half-heartedly at the comment, but Jan Di must have sensed her lack of enthusiasm because her face fell.

"What's wrong? Weren't you excited about seeing Yi Jeong Sunbae again today?"

"Yes, but...I don't think he was that excited to see me."

Jan Di frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...I thought we were getting on so well the last three times we saw each other, but today he...today he hardly looked at me. He didn't even say goodbye to me like he...normally does...He came and left with his date, so we didn't have a moment alone. And he just seemed really off. So I've been trying to figure out if I overstepped or something. Over the weekend, I mean. But I don't think I did anything impolite." With sudden fervor, she continued, "If anything, _he_ was the one who...well, never mind..." She trailed off.

"The one who what?" Jan Di's eyes narrowed. "What did he do?"

"Nothing."

"Ga Eul."

She didn't reply.

Jan Di pressed on.

"Something happened, didn't it? Before you left to go see about your mom."

"Well, um...I thought he tried to kiss me."

" _Kiss_ you?" Jan Di's eyes grew wide.

"I thought."

"You _thought_?" Jan Di scrunched her eyebrows, like that didn't make sense.

Well, it didn't make sense. Not really.

"Ga Eul, either he tried to kiss you, or he didn't."

"It's more complicated than that." Ga Eul twisted her hands agitatedly.

"Complicated?"

"My phone rang, so…But we weren't kissing!" She threw up her hands. "We were just standing really close to each other. I think he was trying to tell me something..." Ga Eul rambled, then trailed off again.

"Ga Eul!" Jan Di grabbed Ga Eul's hands. "How could you not tell me this?!"

"Because I knew how you'd react, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen when I saw him again." She sighed. "Now I know." She shrugged and extricated her hands from Jan Di's grasp. "It's okay. It doesn't mean anything."

Jan Di frowned.

"It means something to _you_. Even if it doesn't to that jerk."

"Jan Di, you know how I am. Sometimes, I get really worked up over nothing. Like I said, I probably...misunderstood."

"I can beat him up for you, if you want."

Ga Eul smiled.

"You're the second person who's offered to do that today. Dong Suk doesn't like him either. At least I know I have awesome friends. Don't worry about it. I just need some sleep, and after that I promise I will put the whole thing out of my mind."

"Well..." Jan Di looked unconvinced.

"I'm serious. I don't know what I was thinking anyway; he's practically married."

"Well...all right. But let me know if you change your mind."

"Noted."

"In the meantime, try to forget him."

"My mind is an empty void," she professed. "I am forgetting as we speak."

"Good."

* * *

And maybe Ga Eul would have forgotten.

Maybe she would have slept peacefully, not thinking of their almost-kiss. Thinking, instead, of the exam on Monday she had to study for. Or how Jan Di mumbled in her sleep. Or the comical image of Jan Di spin-kicking that stupid smirk off of Yi Jeong's face.

Except that about midnight as she dozed off, her phone chimed under her pillow.

A text. From him. Three words.

_How's your hand?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is NO smut in this chapter, but there is some suggestive stuff and kind of a lengthy 'discussion' of future infidelity in the 'last friday night' flashback section. If that's something that would bother you, just skip over to where the story returns to the present, and you won't miss much of anything plot-wise. There's also a little more language (ie. cursing) in this chapter than others, just FYI.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has followed/favorited this story recently! I'm so happy people have been enjoying my little experiment.
> 
> Also, if you haven't read Chapter 2 of my spin-off fic "Two Waitresses" yet, that covers what Ji Hoo and Jan Di were doing during the exhibition.

Ga Eul hadn't texted back.

And normally, Yi Jeong would have taken the hint.

But this time he didn't, if only because he knew he had to see her again on the following Friday.

Well, that wasn't technically true.

He didn't _have_ to see her again. Ever.

But who was he to run from a girl?

He hadn't meant to text her at all the first time.

As for his second text, well...he'd been terrifyingly sober.

She hadn't texted back. So two days later, he'd texted her an addendum that he'd been impressed by her pottery and that there was currently an opening for an intern at the museum if she was interested. And that he wouldn't mind giving her a personal recommendation.

She hadn't texted back.

* * *

_Last Friday Night_

"So...do I get to know the pottery secrets of the talented So Yi Jeong?" Kim Ara leaned back against the door of Yi Jeong's studio once he'd closed them in; she clung to his open suit jacket and drew him against her slender frame. And if she'd looked enticing when he was sober, now that his head was swimming with alcohol, she looked positively ravishing. The kind of girl he liked to pick up on the weekend and bring back there. All legs and breasts and red lipstick.

And it would do him good to get laid.

Because he was tipsy, sure, and the tension in his body craved release.

But also because he needed to get his almost-kiss with a certain waitress out of his head.

He'd waited until Ga Eul left the room to invite Ara to his studio for a nightcap, having purposefully offered to pick her up and take her home for the sole reason of avoiding being stuck in the room alone with Ga Eul, either before or after dinner.

Of course, that arrangement also worked for the purpose of getting laid.

Yi Jeong knew he was breaking one of his own rules for these marriage dates—namely, not getting physically involved with any of them in case he decided against furthering their relationship.

But wasn't that, in a sense, what he had done with Ga Eul already?

Obviously, it couldn't be helped, then. He had an insatiable appetite for all things forbidden.

Pressing Ara against the door, Yi Jeong stared darkly into her heavily mascaraed eyes and instead saw the image of Ga Eul's curious, uncertain eyes meeting his.

Ara smirked as she loosened the knot of his tie, her other hand hooked into his belt.

Yi Jeong pinched the black string knotted at the back of Ara's sheer blouse between his thumb and forefinger. He drew the string down slowly so she would feel the exact moment the knot unraveled. The back of her blouse opened so that he could trace his finger along the bare skin of her shoulders and underneath the top of her camisole.

"You know, my parents have been stressing me out with all this marriage talk," Ara purred, dragging her nails down his thigh, "but I think we would work good together."

"Oh. How so?" Yi Jeong mumbled before kissing her neck, not particularly interested in her answer.

"We're not the sort of people who get emotionally involved." She whispered in his ear, "We're both animals."

"Mmm," he murmured, easing his hands down her hips. He wished she'd stop talking. With his eyes closed he could imagine things he wasn't supposed to imagine. A girl in cream and gold lace. A sky full of stars and a rooftop.

Until Ara's voice interrupted the fantasy.

Again.

"We don't believe in strings." She breathed through the last word. Grabbed one of his hands and laid it on her breast. Pressed his hand into her chest with her own hand.

But the sentence pulled him up short, and he stopped his assault on her neck long enough to mumble, "Strings?"

Fluttering her eyelashes up at him, Ara replied, "I just mean, I wouldn't mind having hot 'no strings attached' sex with my husband if he was the notorious So Yi Jeong."

Even in Yi Jeong's addled brain, the statement took him aback.

Maybe a former him would have been flattered by her interest, but the present him recoiled a bit.

Not that he didn't love a good 'no strings attached' fuck, particularly with a model as sexy as Kim Ara, but there were quite obviously strings of some sort, given the nature of marriage. And marriage dates.

Not that he hadn't planned on a loveless marriage.

Not that it hadn't crossed his mind that, given the constraints of a loveless marriage, his wife would probably have an affair or two.

Not that he'd planned on being a saint himself once he'd married, but he'd thought at least he would be more discreet than his father, who paraded around his affairs like they were something to be proud of.

Not that he hadn't been thinking of someone else just now and probably still would have been when he got Ara in his bed.

However, he hadn't expected Ara to put the expectation of infidelity so bluntly, before he even made her an offer.

Unfairly, he didn't like the idea of going into a permanent relationship with a woman _knowing_ she would sleep with someone else any chance she got. That he was a notch on _her_ belt, so to speak, and nothing more.

Maybe somewhere, in the far recesses of his mind, he'd also thought there was a tiny sliver of a chance that he and his future wife could form a functional, faithful relationship in the long term.

So something about the nonchalant way Ara rolled the words 'no strings attached' around in her mouth got to him, and he shoved away from her. Put a few feet of space between them.

A hypocrite to the end.

"What's wrong?" Ara asked, the lust in her eyes replaced by confusion.

"Nothing." He retightened the knot of his tie, if only to give his hands something else to do. "I'm just...not in the mood." He tucked his hands in his pockets and drew himself up, stoic.

Ara glanced around the room uncertainly and bit back, "You seemed to be in the mood a few seconds ago."

"Yeah. Well." Yi Jeong retrieved his phone from his pocket. "I forgot I have some work to do for tomorrow. I'll be staying here for a while. I'll message my driver to drop you at your apartment."

Ara lifted her eyebrows.

Yi Jeong knew he was being shitty, but he didn't care.

"And what are you going to do?" she asked.

"Work," Yi Jeong repeated. He scowled. "Isn't that what I just said?"

Ara let out a disbelieving scoff.

"I don't understand you, Yi Jeong. _You_ suggested we come back here." She crossed her arms and leaned her weight to one side. The undone neck of her blouse shifted as she did so, leaving part of her shoulder exposed.

"Yeah, I...I changed my mind." He stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "My driver should be here soon." He patted his pocket. As an afterthought, he added, "I'll make some tea while we wait."

"Tea?"

Without waiting for her answer, Yi Jeong ducked behind the counter where he kept his tea set and retrieved a canister of his favorite green tea leaves.

Ara stayed quiet while he set the water to boil and arranged his own handmade cups on a tray. Not until he began pouring the tea did she sidle up next to him, slide her hand down his other arm that wasn't occupied with pouring, and ask, "Is there something you don't like?"

She tilted her head, obviously referring to herself.

Yi Jeong had never understood why girls asked a question when they honestly didn't want to hear the answer.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood to be flattering.

"I don't like people touching me without a reason."

"But I have a reason." Ara simpered.

"The answer's no." Yi Jeong set the tea kettle down and gave her a hard look.

She dropped her arm.

"Fine," she snapped.

A terse silence followed, punctuated by the tinkling of a teaspoon against his cup's porcelain rim.

Then Yi Jeong's phone buzzed.

"My driver's here," Yi Jeong stated calmly and took a sip of his tea. The hot liquid scorched his lips. He didn't look at her. "He'll take you anywhere you want to go." He brought the tea up halfway to his mouth again, but before he could bring it to his lips, Ara snatched the cup away from him. Tea sloshed over the side, but if it burned her, she didn't bat an eyelash. In fact, she didn't flinch when she threw the whole cup of hot tea back in one gulp, then slammed the cup down on the counter.

"You're crazy. Do you know how many followers I have online? Five million." She threw the fingers on her right hand out at him like she might fling them into his face.

Which only irritated him more.

He stared at her for a long moment.

"Then why don't you get one of them to fuck you?" he answered calmly.

The slap she gave him next didn't surprise him; neither did the stinging rawness of his face that persisted after she made her way out, slamming the door behind her.

He guessed he deserved that.

For more reasons than one. He knew he'd been an ass to Ga Eul that evening. Ever since he'd taken her to that damn exhibition, really.

Maybe he'd said it just to punish himself. He didn't know.

When he felt certain Ara wasn't coming back, Yi Jeong shrugged off his coat and tie and opened a new bottle of wine. Twisted his lips at the bitter taste. Not his favorite, but it matched his mood.

An hour later, he was sprawled out on the floor of his workshop, his chin resting on a bench while he poked at the screen of his phone with unsteady fingers.

The words swam in front of his eyes: _How's your hand?_

* * *

_Present_

When Yi Jeong entered his private dining room, Ga Eul was standing rigidly at the back of the room in her embroidered silver blouse and black pants. He'd chosen a silver tie to go with his otherwise all black attire that evening, so they matched. Not an intentional choice on his part, but it was an interesting aesthetic to note.

Ga Eul bowed when she saw him and dutifully approached the table to take his drink order, but her eyes remained flat. Uninterested.

"How's your hand?" he asked.

"Fine," she answered.

"I thought maybe it was bothering you last week. Because that other guy was carrying stuff for you."

That other guy who had also stared at Yi Jeong for a hard second like he was a scourge upon humanity.

Yeah, Yi Jeong knew that look. But he couldn't tell if it was a 'stay the hell away from my sister' look or a 'stay the hell away from the girl I like' look.

"No," Ga Eul replied, her voice clipped. He sensed he wouldn't get any further information from her on the subject, so he changed tactic.

"Oh." Yi Jeong adjusted himself in his chair. "I texted you over the weekend. Maybe you didn't see it?"

He didn't miss the way her eyes shifted before she answered, "No. I saw it."

"Oh. I guess you were busy—"

"Not any busier than you are, I imagine." Ga Eul rushed out, then smiled. The expression didn't reach her eyes.

Her statement hung uneasily in the air.

"Yeah." Yi Jeong cleared his throat. "Ji Hoo was asking how you were, so—"

"You can tell him I'm fine," Ga Eul interrupted a second time. Which was out of character for her, he thought. She struck him as someone who took pride in her work and would never want to be thought rude, even if the customer merited it. "Would you like me to go ahead and bring and out the wine?" she continued.

Yi Jeong studied her a moment, but he couldn't get a read on what she was thinking. Her face was neutral save for a tiny quiver of her mouth. Nerves, he guessed. Or irritation.

"No, that's okay. I'll wait for...my date."

"Of course." Ga Eul smiled sweetly and backed away.

Yi Jeong took out his phone and pretended to study the screen. Pretended to fiddle with his wristwatch. Pretended to note the symmetry and delicate perfection of the white roses that had been arranged in a small vase to one side of the table. Unfortunately, white roses only reminded him of the exhibit, which inevitably reminded him of the waitress standing behind him, silent as death.

"I was busy," he said, giving up the charade.

"What?" Ga Eul replied to his back.

He turned halfway round in his chair so he could look at her properly.

"I was busy, like you said. I'm sorry for not responding sooner."

She blinked.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." She pursed her lips.

"I did think your pieces were quite good," he pressed. "How many years did you say you've been doing pottery?"

She didn't reply right away, opening her mouth and then closing it. Swallowing. Shifting her gaze and then her feet.

"Yi Jeong Sunbae, if I may, I don't think we should discuss our personal lives anymore."

"I'm sorry?"

"I just mean that I don't find it appropriate, given the situation, and I would rather not."

"Appro—"

"I don't mind being your waitress for the next few weeks, but as I doubt we'll be seeing each other after that, we should probably just discuss the menu...or something...I hope you can respect my wishes."

Respect her wishes?

Yi Jeong could only stare at her, at the firm set of her jaw when she made that last pronouncement.

He frowned at her for a moment before finally answering, "As you wish."

Rearranging himself in his chair, he glared at the wood panels on the door for hardly a minute before the frustration in his gut bubbled over. Though whether he was frustrated with her or with himself, he couldn't say.

He jerked his body back to face her. "You know, most people would have jumped at the chance for that internship."

Ga Eul said nothing. If his irate demeanor bothered her, he couldn't tell.

"People like you should take advantage of every opportunity they're offered, yes?"

"People like me?" Ga Eul repeated, her expression souring.

He could tell he'd said the wrong thing, but he persisted, "The art world. It's not an easy tree to climb."

Ga Eul scoffed, sudden anger in her eyes. He preferred it, at least, to her vacant expression from before.

"Oh, I'm sure you would know all about that," she shot back. "Being born into such inconvenient circumstances and all."

"Don't misunderstand." His eyes narrowed. "I'm just offering you some free advice."

"You can offer me anything you want. It doesn't mean I have to accept it."

"Now listen—"

"Please understand me." She dropped her voice so that he had to strain to hear it, but spoke with decisiveness. "I don't think it would be appropriate for me to accept any more personal favors from you. I. Don't. Want. Them."

Yi Jeong was about to snap back something, anything, but at that exact moment the door opened, and in walked his date for the evening.

Choi Eun Sang.

Shit.

He'd thought that name sounded familiar.

Now that he saw her in person, he knew why.

He'd actually been on a date with her before. Two years ago.

He was a little vague on the details, but he did remember she'd been pretty pissed off when he hadn't called her back.

Karma was a bitch in gold heels and a red mini dress. And she smiled when she entered the room—not a false smile like Ga Eul wore, but it unnerved him all the same.

Unnerved him more than if she'd looked pissed.

Well, it had been two years ago.

Maybe she didn't remember. After all, he hadn't recognized her from the picture his mother had shown him.

He stood and greeted her. Pulled out a chair.

Once they had both been seated and Yi Jeong had awkwardly made a wine request to Ga Eul, Eun Sang leaned forward and said, with seemingly genuine concern, "I hope your parents are well."

"They're doing fine," Yi Jeong answered lightly. Whoever married him would find out about his parents' self-destructive proclivities soon enough. No need to bring that up on a first date. "And yours?" He smiled. It felt like a wince.

"Mm. They're on holiday." Eun Sang sipped her water, the multiple gold bangles on her arm clattering against one another. "So, I hear you're working on a new exhibit."

"Yes, I..." Yi Jeong trailed off as Ga Eul entered the room again and began pouring wine from a bottle of merlot. She set his wine down in front of him. "Um." He cleared his throat. "Sorry, yes. I hope to have it ready early next year."

Ga Eul poured Eun Sang a glass of merlot.

"I look forward to seeing it. I've always loved the museum. So calming." Eun Sang gave him a gracious smile. "In particular, I've always found the Joseon Dynasty exhibit fascinating."

"Oh, really?"

"Oh, Miss Ga Eul." Eun Sang touched Ga Eul's hand before she could leave the table. "Please bring out one bottle of rosé as well."

"Oh, yes. Of course." Ga Eul nodded and retreated from the room.

The evening's main course was chicken bulgogi with traditional side dishes. Eun Sang chattered about the places in Europe and Asia she'd visited in the past year throughout dinner. Thankfully, her talkativeness took the burden off of Yi Jeong to maintain a conversation. He was not in the mood to maintain much of anything beyond a semblance of politeness.

After they finished the main course, Eun Sang pushed her empty bowl away and asked Ga Eul for a slice of cheesecake.

With a nod, Ga Eul gathered their two bowls up along with a few half-eaten side dishes and the larger communal plate of chicken.

Suddenly, one of the dishes Ga Eul was holding slipped from her grasp, causing the entire pile of dishes to tilt off-balance. Yi Jeong reached his hands out before he knew what he was doing, catching the dishes as they tumbled from her arms. He held them up until she was able to gather them to her body again.

Immediately, she withdrew from him, a disconcerted frown on her lips.

"Be careful," he admonished.

"Sorry," she said, and, having bowed her head in apology, scurried away.

"Did you know that the Greeks used to serve this as a wedding cake?" Eun Sang asked, scooping up a bite of the cheesecake once it had been brought out.

"I can't say that I did." Yi Jeong brought a half-hearted bite to his mouth.

"Mm. They thought it was a good source of energy," Eun Sang said. "I went to Greece last summer. Santorini. I went to this winery overlooking the caldera and the Aegean Sea. They said the Minoan civilization there was destroyed by this huge volcanic eruption, what, three thousand years ago or something. Just like Pompeii. Can you imagine? An entire city buried under rubble for centuries." She stuffed another bite of cheesecake into her mouth. "It's incredible how some things can just...disappear in an instant." She waved her fork excitedly.

"Ah, yes."

"Well, at least the art world must have had a field day. I went to the museum in Athens. The archaeological something something." Another wave of the fork. "But mostly I just went to the beach." She smiled convivially and continued on about the beach for a while as she finished off the rest of her cheesecake.

Yi Jeong leisurely chewed his own slice of cheesecake, not really tasting it.

When Eun Sang had polished off her plate and set her fork down with a clatter, Yi Jeong laid his own fork next to his half-eaten slice.

"Oh, don't bother, by the way." Eun Sang dabbed at her mouth with her napkin.

"I'm sorry?"

"About considering me." She tossed the napkin onto the table. "I have no interest in marrying you." She smiled like she'd simply said she had no interest in cats or piano concerts or juggling.

Yi Jeong had only been half-listening to her through dessert, ever since Ga Eul's tiny slip with the dishes, but now he was all ears.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, I wasn't going to accept your invitation, but then I thought"—Eun Sang brought a graceful hand to rest on her chin—"it takes _forever_ to get on the waiting list for this place, and you do owe me dinner." She brought her hand down and cast him a quizzical look. "Or was it breakfast? I can't remember what was said."

"Wait. I...I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Our date. Two years ago. Remember? The Joseon Dynasty exhibit?" she replied in a sing-song voice. She tossed back the last of her wine. Rosé from the extra bottle she'd ordered.

Among several extra things she'd ordered, he realized.

The Joseon Dynasty. He mentally snapped his fingers. Of course. Now he remembered their date perfectly.

A mental image of them making out against one of the glass cases after hours flew through Yi Jeong's mind and dissolved into another image of her yelling at him in a department store. Hitting him with a handbag while Woo Bin clutched his stomach in a fit of laughter.

"You wasted my time. Now I've wasted your time," she stated calmly, holding out one hand, then the other. Clapping her hands together, she concluded, "I think we should call it even, So Yi Jeong who 'doesn't actually do second dates.'" She put air quotes around the last half of the sentence and stood, having made her point. "Oh, and one more thing."

Picking up her water glass, she threw the half-full glass of ice cold water in his face. Into his mouth that had half-opened in a retort. "Idiot," she muttered.

"Hey! What the hell?!" Yi Jeong sputtered as the water soaked his hair and the top of his dress shirt.

Turning to Ga Eul, she said, "I'd like another slice of cheesecake to go. Please put it on his tab. I'll just be at the entrance."

What the hell?

Yi Jeong picked up the napkin in his lap only to realize it was dirty. Then he noticed Ga Eul following Eun Sang out the door.

"Hey!" he called out.

He'd expected Ga Eul to stay behind—after all, _he_ was paying, and _he_ hadn't told her to move.

"Miss Ga Eul," he said, clenching his fists. "A napkin, please."

"There's one in front of you." Turning slightly, she pointed to the dirty napkin he'd cast aside. "Oh, that's right. You don't like using anything twice." She walked back to her serving materials. Whipping out a clean napkin, she placed it on the table and continued, "If you'll excuse me, I'll be getting Miss Choi Eun Sang her cheesecake."

"Like hell you are."

"Like hell I _am_." She smiled.

And then, she left.

* * *

"Like hell I am," Yi Jeong mimicked Ga Eul's remark from earlier that evening. "Oh, let's not talk about anything _personal_. What the hell was that?" he ranted to Woo Bin, who had met him a half hour before for a spontaneous round of pool at their old F4 hangout. "She's lost her mind, talking to me like that," Yi Jeong asserted.

"Bro, you've been talking about this waitress since you got here," Woo Bin replied, lining up his next shot. "Why don't you just ask for a new one?"

"And you know what's another thing?" Yi Jeong continued, ignoring Woo Bin's suggestion. "I practically handed her that internship. And she spat it back like I'd offered her poison." He huffed and grabbed a cold beer out of the mini fridge. When Woo Bin simply stared at him, unmoving, he asked, "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to take your shot?"

"I'll take my shot when you admit that you're not mad at Miss Ga Eul." He grinned. "You're just mad about getting that water thrown in your face. You were embarrassed, and you're trying to cover it up by turning it on her."

In his frustration, Yi Jeong had related the events of the evening—mainly his conversations with Ga Eul—to Woo Bin, who'd always been his partner in crime, so to speak, in all things concerning women. In doing so, he'd made the mistake of mentioning Eun Sang's revenge to him, and Woo Bin had broken into a good, side-splitting laugh about it for ten minutes or so.

Now Woo Bin was grinning at him like he might break into more laughter at any moment.

"What?" Yi Jeong scoffed. "Are you on her side now?"

"She seemed nice when I met her." Woo Bin shrugged.

"You saw her for all of one minute."

"I'm a good judge of character. Comes with the family business." Woo Bin leaned over the table to take his shot. "I can also tell when someone is bluffing. You do know that's why you've never beat me at poker, right?"

"Yeah, well, I always beat you at pool, so let's just call it even." Yi Jeong took a swig of the ice cold Heineken he'd been holding in a death grip. Clutching it with greater and greater intensity, he rambled on, his dark gaze sweeping over their old hangout at Shinhwa, "Women are something else. I even apologized to her. I offered her a fucking internship at the museum, and she looked at me like I was a fucking idiot."

"I like this girl," Woo Bin contributed. "Oh, by the way, I heard through a friend of a friend's girlfriend, you turned down Kim Ara. Apparently, she was raging mad about it. You've got some balls, bro."

"What? Oh, that. I wasn't in the mood." Yi Jeong frowned and tried to focus on his next shot. It missed its target and rolled into the pocket. Scratch.

Yi Jeong swore under his breath.

"She also said you called her fat." Woo Bin picked up the cue ball and placed it in his desired position.

"Fat? Well, now that's a load of bull. What am I? Crazy?"

"That's what I said." Woo Bin paused his game to give Yi Jeong a knowing look. "There's no way _anyone_ would call Kim Ara fat, least of all the guy who's trying to...Anyway, what did you say to make her so pissed off at you?"

"Nothing." Yi Jeong bristled. "Some girls can't handle rejection. You know that."

"Hmm...My question is why. Like, how drunk were you the other night? Turning down—"

"Does it matter?! Look, can't we just play the game? It's your turn!" Yi Jeong flung his hand out in the direction of the cue ball.

"See, my gut is telling me things." Woo Bin knocked two balls into the pocket. "And if I didn't know you better, I might believe it."

"Might believe what?"

"You didn't sleep with Ara because you're so hung up on that waitress girl."

"Very funny."

"My gut is almost never wrong."

"Well, it's wrong this time."

"Suit yourself, bro. But for what it's worth...I think Miss Ga Eul is pretty easy on the eyes."

"You think—" Yi Jeong began, but his thought was cut off by Woo Bin's phone ringing.

Fishing the phone out of his brown leather jacket pocket, Woo Bin seemed to recognize the name on the screen and accepted the call.

"Hello?" he said, and a weird expression came over his face as he held the phone up to his ear. Yi Jeong couldn't tell if he was irritated or anxious.

"I told you I was coming...Yeah, yeah, that's fine...I'll be there...I said I'll be there. Bye."

Once he'd hung up, Woo Bin looked back up at Yi Jeong, a curious expression on his face.

"Who was that?" Yi Jeong asked.

"Uh, no one. I mean, it's family stuff. Mind if head out?" Woo Bin put up his cue stick.

"No, sure." Yi Jeong shrugged. The whole evening was fucked, anyway. "Take care of your business."

"Catch ya later, bro." Woo Bin pulled on his leather jacket and headed out the door, leaving Yi Jeong alone with his tumultuous thoughts.

_You can offer me anything you want. It doesn't mean I have to accept it._

Ga Eul's words came back to Yi Jeong as he dimmed the lights and slouched down with his beer on the black and white striped couch where Ji Hoo had played guitar during simpler times.

_You can offer me anything you want._

But what, exactly, did he want to offer her?


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, so maybe Ga Eul had gotten a little carried away the week before, but if there was one thing she'd learned from being Jan Di's friend all these years, it was to not take crap from anyone.

 _Anyone_.

That included So Yi Jeong.

Ga Eul didn't know where he got off with his 'people like her' comment.

The more she'd thought about it, the more pissed she'd gotten.

Then on Wednesday she'd received a call for an interview early the following week.

An interview!

At that stupid museum his family owned.

That stupid museum for which she was now inclined to cut up her bottom tier membership card.

Except that her mother gifted it to her every Christmas.

She'd already told him she didn't want his charity. Why couldn't the idiot let it go?!

Oh. Right.

He had money.

He wasn't used to being told _no_.

Twisting her hair into a tighter bun—so tight that her scalp hurt—she huffed in front of the bathroom mirror in the ladies' room.

Served him right to get water splashed in his face. If she hadn't wanted to keep her job, she would have liked to have a go at it herself.

"Why did I get a call this week about an interview for that internship?" Ga Eul demanded when she walked into the room and saw that Yi Jeong had arrived. She didn't bow or otherwise act professional. Why bother? _He_ obviously wasn't interested in doing that.

"I recommended you," he said in a self-satisfied manner, smoothing his hands over the front of his suit jacket. He was in full Casanova mode, wearing a red suit and a black dress shirt like he'd come from a Valentine's Day photoshoot. Ga Eul thought he looked ridiculous.

She marched up to his table.

"I specifically told you not to do that. So why would you?"

"Why do you care? Don't you know not to look a gift horse—"

"Oh, cut the crap." Now that she stood almost on top of him, she saw that his red jacket was multi-toned, progressively darkening in color from top to bottom.

Yi Jeong narrowed his eyes.

"Look, I don't _want_ anything from you if that's what you think."

Ga Eul let out a disbelieving scoff.

"Yes, you do. I admit, I'm pretty naive. Pretty foolish, even. But even I know guys don't go around showering girls with gifts for no reason. There's always a reason. So out with it."

He seemed taken aback by her tenacity and paused, scrutinizing her. For a moment, he looked apprehensive, scared even. And she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. She didn't consider herself _that_ intimidating.

Finally, he shook his head and dropped his arms onto the table. He interlocked his fingers and stared at them instead of her face.

"I am _trying_ to make up for my behavior the other night." He sighed. "But you won't let me."

Ga Eul blinked, not believing her ears. She hadn't expected for him to actually admit he was wrong. Not that it made up for his ill-chosen words, but it was something.

"So you thought you would give me an internship at the largest art museum in the country, and we would be friends again? Is that it?"

"Well—"

"Just because I don't have money or connections like you, that doesn't mean I'm the type of person you can buy."

He sat still a moment, then raised his head to squint at her. The corners of his mouth pinched in a frown.

"That's not...that's not what I meant."

"Maybe that's not what you meant, Sunbae, but that's what it looks like."

"I..." Yi Jeong started and trailed off. He appeared to be trying to form an appropriate response to that accusation.

"Sunbae, do you have a habit of making women upset with you?"

"What?"

"Seemed like I wasn't the only one irritated with you the other night."

"Oh, that." Yi Jeong shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't stand Eun Sang up, okay? I had one date with her. I just didn't call her back."

"She said you were supposed to have dinner with her."

"She was probably referring to the dinner we were supposed to be having while we were...otherwise occupied."

Ga Eul blushed at the insinuation.

"Ah. I see." Actually, she didn't quite see, but she didn't want to know. A realization dawned on her then—something that should have been obvious given Yi Jeong's reputation but that she honestly hadn't dwelt on up to that point. "Yi Jeong Sunbae, you don't like the idea of marriage much, do you?"

He lifted his eyebrows.

"What gives you that idea? The celebrity news?"

Ga Eul shook her head.

"No. Pure observation."

Idle gossip in the tabloids was one thing, but what she had personally noticed over the past few weeks was that Yi Jeong didn't seem terribly invested in any of his dates—Ga Eul wasn't counting the night he'd been dead-set on ignoring her own presence. Overall, he'd appeared far more invested in getting to know _her_ , which didn't make any sense if he was supposed to be picking out a future spouse.

"It's fine for most people, I guess." Yi Jeong broke the drawn-out silence. "I just never thought it was for me."

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces clicked into place.

"The reason you've been giving me all this attention. I think I've figured it out," she announced.

"What?"

"You don't want to get married. You're distracting yourself because you have to make a decision you don't want to make, and that decision will affect the rest of your life, and whether you're happy with it or not, you'll have to live with it. Am I right?"

"No...I mean, that's not exactly—"

"It's okay." She took a step back. "You don't have to explain. But to be honest, as you are getting married, whether you want to or not, I'd rather not be caught up in some sort of scandal, accidental or otherwise. I'm not sure it would be worth whatever I would benefit from accepting your internship. So, you see, I must, unfortunately, decline your offer."

"I—"

"I'll call the museum and tell them not to expect me. But thank you. And...I forgive you for...for the other day."

Ga Eul backed away from the table and left the room before Yi Jeong could say anything further.

She wasn't sure where she'd intended to go, but she ended up by the restaurant's stock of alcohol. Unfortunately, he hadn't told her what wine he wanted that evening. Picking out something herself, just so she wouldn't return empty-handed, she grabbed a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and took a few deep breaths.

She walked back slowly, unsure why she felt like crying. Perhaps she was crashing from the adrenaline of confronting Yi Jeong.

She wished Dong Suk was at the restaurant, but he had quit earlier that week and would be flying to Tokyo on Sunday morning for his architecture internship, which began next week. As much as he'd annoyed her over the years, she'd miss having him to joke around with and generally lean on. Her other coworkers were nice enough, but she hadn't bonded with any of them in the same way that she'd bonded with Dong Suk. They'd always had such an easy friendship. And now she was…

Alone.

Ga Eul froze in front of the door to Yi Jeong's room.

She could do this.

She'd served difficult guests before.

This was different though, and she hated how different it was.

She hated feeling like the appetizer before the more expensive main course.

A placeholder.

A proxy.

"Excuse me, miss." A silky voice startled Ga Eul from her thoughts.

She turned and came face to face with a dark-haired woman in a flowing periwinkle blue dress—mid-length in the front and floor-length in the back. A blue sash formed an elaborate bow at the middle of the dress, cinching the light material in place around her tiny waist.

"I'm looking for So Yi Jeong," she said, tucking a curl of her loose long hair behind her ear.

"Oh, yes. He's in this room. Please come in." Ga Eul opened the door to let the woman in.

The woman greeted Yi Jeong with an enthusiastic wave, which he returned.

Great. Another person he had some sort of history with.

Ga Eul served the wine while they situated themselves.

Initially, Ga Eul was thankful that Yi Jeong made no comment about not having ordered any wine.

But then his date, Jenny, announced that cabernet sauvignon was her _favorite_ wine, and _oh my god, how did you know_ …and Ga Eul could have slapped herself for her choice.

Jenny Kang—she insisted on being called by the English name she'd adopted while attending college abroad—was another person who had studied with Yi Jeong in high school. Ga Eul gathered that Jenny had been a year behind him in school and, for that reason, also called him 'Sunbae.'

Ga Eul tried not to pay much attention to the rest of their conversation, deciding she'd been paying a bit too much attention for the past few weeks.

She told herself to just get through the evening and feel better knowing she'd only have to endure three more weeks of this.

Whatever this was.

Whatever it was that she was enduring.

She couldn't even define the tightness in her gut. She didn't know Yi Jeong well enough to be truly heartbroken over her revelation, but she was a bit disheartened that his interest in her had been less about her, specifically, and more about him having a final bit of fun before he resigned himself to matrimonial drudgery.

All right, more than 'a bit disheartened.'

More like bereft of something that could have blossomed into something else.

Though she couldn't, again, define what that 'something' and that 'something else' were.

But it didn't matter because she'd robbed of the opportunity to discover it.

Or, rather, she'd discovered that whatever it was hadn't existed to begin with.

She'd been drifting through a dream world.

And now she'd been smacked awake.

Ga Eul spent the rest of the evening on autopilot.

She brought out their dishes, refilled their wine glasses, offered dessert…

The woman left first, but he stayed—of course, he stayed—and studied her as she collected the dishes from the table.

He seemed to be debating whether or not to ask her something, and she desperately wanted to leave the room before something came out of his mouth that would keep her up all night— _again_.

"Does it bother you?" he asked.

"Does what bother me?"

"That your idol isn't as perfect as you thought he was."

Huh. Whatever comment she'd been expecting, it wasn't _that_.

"I never thought you were perfect, Sunbae," she answered honestly.

"Really?" He wore the incredulous look of a person who'd been showered with compliments his entire life. But he didn't seem upset by her bluntness, merely curious.

So she explained, "A perfect person couldn't create art like you do. It takes being a little...broken...to understand." When he didn't respond, she adjusted the dishes in her arms and mumbled, "Um, I'm just going to take these to the kitchen."

She made it halfway to the door when he called after her, "I loved someone once."

Ga Eul paused.

Another revelation. She wasn't sure she could take too many more this evening.

After a moment's hesitation, she turned to face him.

"And?"

"She married someone else." He shrugged like it didn't mean anything, but she could tell that it did. He'd been hurt badly once; maybe he'd been running ever since.

"Oh. Um, I'm sorry, Sunbae."

"It's fine." He smiled. Winced.

"But, you know, maybe she wasn't the one for you. Maybe you'll still meet someone really nice."

"Maybe."

They stared at each other for the longest time, and Ga Eul took shallow breaths, fearing even the slightest sound would break whatever was happening.

Then dishes clattered beyond the door, and she straightened up.

"I'm going to take these dishes back," she repeated softly.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'll see you next week."

She turned, quickly, and retreated from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm...Technically, there should be three more dates left, but we only have two more chapters to go...What's going to happen?
> 
> Hint, hint: The next chapter will not take place at the restaurant. That is all I will say.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you aren't watching Kim Beom's comeback drama Tale of the Nine-Tailed, you should be because it is awesome so far!
> 
> Fun fact: I was watching Crash Landing on You when I first wrote Se Ri's character. I named her after Son Ye-jin's character (who is also a total badass CEO) in that drama. If you haven't seen Crash Landing on You, you should watch it as well!

"CEO now, is it?"

Se Ri looked up from her desk to where Yi Jeong stood in the doorway to her office. Setting down the papers in her hand, she offered him a pleasant smile.

"Yes," she answered. "My father officially decided to step down."

"Congratulations. You deserve it."

"Thank you. It feels weird being in this office knowing that it's, well, mine instead of his. Come in. Sit." She gestured to the chair across from her desk, and Yi Jeong entered the expansive office. He could tell she'd already had the place redesigned by the industrial chic light fixtures and feminine gray and teal furnishings.

"Working late?" he asked, dropping into the comfortable gray chair opposite her.

"I'm coming up on a massive deadline. Sorry you have to meet me here." She touched her hair self-consciously and gestured around. "I'm a mess." Se Ri's desk was, indeed, a mess, though Se Ri was the type of person who would know where everything was, despite appearances.

Which was, in fact, why Yi Jeong had come to see her. Because despite appearances—or despite his past assumptions about Se Ri—apparently she knew something about romantic relationships that he did not.

"It's fine." He smiled. "I just wanted to get your advice on something."

Se Ri pushed her glasses up her nose and leaned back in her chair in a business-like manner.

"What can I do for you? If you're looking to invest, you've come to the right company." She said the last part with a hint of teasing.

"Don't worry. Now that you're running things, I'll definitely be buying shares. But, actually, the reason I came here today is..." Yi Jeong paused, realizing this was the first time he'd be saying the words out loud, even to himself. "I want to ask a girl out on a date."

Se Ri lifted her eyebrows.

"Sorry, but I think that's more _your_ area of expertise than mine." She chuckled. "If So Yi Jeong can't get a date, we're all screwed. What happened to all of your restaurant dates? Did the rest of them cancel?"

"It's more like... _I've_ cancelled them." Yi Jeong tried—and failed—to keep from fidgeting with his tie.

Se Ri stayed silent for a moment, studying him.

Appraising him the way he imagined she would a client.

"Yi Jeong, are you growing up?"

"What?"

She laughed again.

"I've never seen you look so nervous in my life."

"I'm not nervous." He frowned, sitting up straighter. "I'm...All right, maybe a little bit. The thing is, I said something"—Yi Jeong flung his hand to the side—"stupid—maybe I did something stupid—and I think I gave her the wrong idea...Well, at the time I wasn't trying to...But then she just took everything so...badly..." He trailed off, unsure what he had originally intended to say.

"If I'm understanding your little speech correctly, you like a girl, and you hurt her feelings, probably while you were pretending _not_ to like her"—Se Ri's voice lilted up questioningly—"and now you're afraid she doesn't like _you_ anymore. Does that sound about right?"

"Well..." Yi Jeong sighed. "Yes, that's pretty much it," he finished glumly.

"Well, there's only one thing to do in that case," Se Ri stated matter-of-factly.

"What's that?"

"Tell the truth."

"The truth?"

"You admit that what you said before only confused her. So now you need to clarify. Tell her you like her, that you are sorry for whatever happened, and that you would like a chance to make it up to her." Se Ri clasped her hands together on her desk and shrugged. "As for whether she accepts that or not, that's up to her." She narrowed her eyes. "Whatever you do, don't push her on it. I know how insufferable you chaebols can be. If she says 'no,' she means 'no.'"

"Just...straight out...like that?"

"Well, what other way could you be, Yi Jeong?"

"Uh, well..." Yi Jeong laughed nervously.

Charming? Flattering? Seductive? Skirting his way around the actual issue through various distractions?

Being straightforward was so...unlike himself.

Though maybe that was the problem.

"Yi Jeong, do you remember Woo Bin's seventh birthday?"

"Uh, vaguely, I guess." Yi Jeong shot her a quizzical look.

What did that have to do with—

"I remember he got a—what was it?—a Game Boy. It was the first color edition, I think." She rapped her fingers on her desk.

Yi Jeong's brain flew through various gaming consoles he'd owned at lightning speed, finally settling on the Game Boy Color he'd gotten for Christmas one year. It had been the first console he'd ever owned. He still had it somewhere.

Woo Bin had gotten a Game Boy Color before him. Trust Se Ri to remember a present _someone else_ had gotten for their birthday twenty years ago.

"Anyway," Se Ri continued with a wave of her hand, clearly giving up on getting the exact item right in her head, "whatever it was, you wanted it. I remember you screaming about it for a while. After they finally got you to calm down, we ate cake, and you somehow slipped away from your parents and got the present from Woo Bin's pile of gifts." Se Ri giggled. "His maid chased you all over the house to get it back, and you hid under a bed in one of the guest bedrooms and refused to give it up until your father came to drag you out."

"Oh." Yi Jeong laughed. "I do remember that, actually. I haven't thought about that day in years." Unfortunately, he mainly remembered it because his father had been tipsy when he came to drag Yi Jeong out, and Yi Jeong's delinquency had made his already sour mood worse. Yi Jeong's mother had gone home 'with a headache' a while before, so there had been nothing standing between Yi Jeong and his father's temper on the way home.

"So...what's your point?" he asked, batting away the bad memories.

"Children are so simple. When they see something they want, they just take it. When you're an adult, it's easy to come up with excuses for why you shouldn't have something. Or why you shouldn't even attempt to have it. But children don't think about that. They see something they want, and they go after it. Because if they don't get it, they know they'll cry. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I make demands and throw a tantrum if I don't get my way?" Yi Jeong joked. "Isn't that what you told me not to do earlier?"

"Not exactly." Se Ri shook her head. "I just mean that...you're So Yi Jeong, for goodness sake's. You were always like that. So Yi Jeong wants a toy. He gets it. So Yi Jeong wants an art award. He gets it. So Yi Jeong wants a girl. He gets her. You didn't become a world-renowned potter by second-guessing yourself or being afraid. So what's your excuse this time?" She gave him a pointed look. "Whatever you want to say, just spit it out. That's my advice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter and the previous chapter are on the short side; the final chapter will much longer, and it will have a little something for everyone in it. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Yi Jeong had cancelled.

Completely cancelled the rest of his dates.

Just like that.

No explanation sent to Ga Eul's phone or passed on through her manager.

On Wednesday, she'd been leaving at the end of her shift when her manager pulled her aside and told her she wouldn't be serving Yi Jeong anymore.

And that was that.

She wondered if what she had said about him not really wanting to get married had struck a nerve. Or if he'd actually found someone, like that Kim Ara character, who didn't totally offend his sensibilities regardless of whether or not he felt any affection for her. Just someone to get the job done.

She supposed his parents were putting plenty of pressure on him, or he wouldn't have agreed to go on those dates at all. Which made his cancellation of them all the more curious.

Well, he hadn't personally notified her, and she felt awkward messaging him, so she guessed she would never know why he hadn't come back. Unless she found out through Ji Hoo via Jan Di. But Ji Hoo didn't seem like the type to give up that sort of information easily.

Was she upset that their relationship, vaguely defined as it was, had ended on such abrupt terms?

Sure.

But what did she think was going to happen? Their relationship would have run its course in a few more weeks, anyway.

In a way, Yi Jeong had spared her the awkwardness of drawing it out.

She supposed she should be grateful.

Instead, she wanted to spend all night eating ice cream, drinking wine, and watching an angsty melodrama.

Maybe crying over someone else's relationship woes would put her own foolish expectations in perspective.

Possibly. Unless the heroine ended up marrying the handsome chaebol at the end and living happily ever after, as was wont to be the case.

To cheer Ga Eul up—and to save her from an ice cream overdose—Jan Di had suggested they go out for fried chicken and beer at their regular place, even though it was Friday, and they normally ate out on Saturday night.

Well, a little break from routine couldn't hurt, and she could get drunk off of beer just as easily as wine. It might take a little longer, but she could get there.

"I hope you don't mind. I invited Ji Hoo Sunbae to join us," Jan Di said when she got back from the clinic. Ga Eul already stood in front of their shared full-length mirror making last minute adjustments to her outfit—a white ruffled blouse and a red skirt with black stockings and red heels. Whenever she found herself in a dull mood, dressing up lifted her spirits, even though she knew she'd be overdressed for the place they were going to.

"Oh. Um, sure. That's fine," Ga Eul answered, checking herself in the mirror one final time and sliding her red headband further back on her head.

Actually, it wasn't fine. She'd rather not see anyone that reminded her of Yi Jeong, but it wasn't Ji Hoo's fault his friend was so fickle. And Ji Hoo had been quite nice to her when taking care of her hand. He hadn't even charged her. Though at the time Ga Eul had thought Yi Jeong might have paid for his services. He probably had paid and hadn't given it another thought. It hadn't meant anything. Money wouldn't mean anything to him.

Jan Di changed clothes quickly, and a few minutes later, she rushed Ga Eul out the door.

"Hey! What's the big hurry?" Ga Eul asked, struggling to match her friend's frantic pace down the stairs of their apartment building. "It's still so early."

"Ji Hoo Sunbae offered to drive us," Jan Di called back to her. "He's waiting in front of the building. Let's go."

"Oh."

When they exited the building, she saw Ji Hoo sitting in a white Mini Cooper, which idled in the pick-up and drop-off lane. She couldn't help but smile when she realized he matched his car; he was dressed in white as he'd been on all the other occasions she'd seen him. She happened to know he also drove a white motorcycle, so she guessed white was his color. This time he wore a white sweater over blue jeans. She recalled his white suit at the exhibition.

The exhibition.

Her mind immediately conjured an image of Yi Jeong standing on a rooftop. Already, that beautiful evening seemed like a lifetime ago.

She blinked the image away and greeted Ji Hoo politely before slipping into the backseat of his car and letting Jan Di sit up front.

While Jan Di gave Ji Hoo directions to the chicken place, Ga Eul let her mind wander once more.

But when her mind wandered, it inevitably circled back to Yi Jeong, no matter what she thought of.

Thankfully, it didn't take too long to reach their destination. Ji Hoo found a good parking spot, though a crowd had already formed inside.

They got out of the car. Ga Eul began walking ahead of them to the entrance of the restaurant, but Jan Di called out for her to wait.

Turning around, she lifted her eyebrows curiously.

Didn't Jan Di want to get inside while there were still tables?

"Ji Hoo Sunbae and I will get us a table. Wait here for a second." Jan Di walked up to her and placed her hands on Ga Eul's shoulders. "Someone wants to talk to you."

"What?"

"We'll be inside, so come find us when you get finished." Jan Di dropped her arms and continued past Ga Eul. Ga Eul looked at Ji Hoo, but he said nothing, merely offered her a cryptic smile.

"Finished with what?" Ga Eul called after them. They kept walking, gravel crunching under their shoes.

Ga Eul stared at their retreating backs until they entered the restaurant.

A light breeze whipped around her as she turned in a semi-circle towards the road.

She didn't see anyone she knew.

But who should she be expecting?

"Ga Eul-yang," a familiar but unexpected voice spoke up behind her.

She spun around and saw Yi Jeong, flamboyantly overdressed for his surroundings in a black suit with a dark grey waistcoat. He stood behind a red Cadillac a few parking spaces over.

When had _he_ gotten there?

"Yi Jeong Sunbae," she murmured. Cleared her throat. Spoke louder. "Yi Jeong Sunbae. Um, what are you doing here?"

"Your friend said you would be here." He shuffled his feet. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh?" Jan Di had known he was coming and didn't tell her? That was unlike her. They told each other everything. What else did Jan Di know that she didn't? "I mean, sorry," Ga Eul amended. "I didn't realize you were standing there before."

"I was sitting in my car when you arrived." He tapped the trunk of the Cadillac. A different car than the one she'd ridden in—one of several, she guessed. He probably collected real cars the way some people collected toy models.

She should step closer to him so he could comfortably ask whatever he wanted and be on his way, but something about the way he was looking at her had her frozen to the spot.

So she inwardly sighed with relief when he walked over to her instead.

He halted a few feet from her and flashed her one of his mind-numbing smiles.

"Surprised?"

"Uh...y-yeah," she stammered. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Her voice squeaked through the last part of the sentence.

"You're probably wondering why I cancelled the rest of my dates, right?"

"Um, well...a little bit." She stuffed her hands in the pockets of the red cardigan she'd thrown on over her blouse. "I hope the service wasn't _that_ terrible," she managed to quip.

"Oh, no, no." He laughed. One of those charming, effervescent laughs that made her fall for him all over again.

Really, she hoped he had a damn good reason for showing up in front of her like this. She hoped it wouldn't become a regular occurrence because she sorely needed to get him out of her head and—

"With me...Will you go out on a date with me?"

For a moment, Ga Eul stopped breathing.

What?

 _What_ had he just said?

"A date?" Ga Eul repeated. "You mean like before? When we went to the exhibition together?" She laughed nervously. "Goodness, how many events does the museum have?"

"No." Yi Jeong shook his head. "A real date. I..." He hesitated. "I like you."

_I like you._

She'd imagined those words coming out of his mouth so many times that she half-believed she was in a dream right now.

"I...Um, I...That is, um, th-thank you." Her voice lifted up at the end, like it was a question. Not that she didn't want to go out with him. But this was all so sudden, and she wasn't sure what it meant.

And she wasn't sure she wasn't in a dream.

Proceeding cautiously, she continued, "Thank you, but...what about your parents? Don't they still want you to get married soon?"

"Oh, that." His expression sobered a bit. "Actually, I talked to my mother earlier this week. Apparently, the whole marriage mandate was her idea of forcing me to stop fooling around. But since I found someone I like, she was surprisingly satisfied with that as long as I'm serious about the whole thing. Which I am. Not that we have to get married...or something...right now. I mean, we can just date. Or not. If you don't want to, I understand that too. I just thought—"

"It's okay. It's okay, Sunbae." Ga Eul couldn't help but smile at his uncharacteristic rambling. Still, she was trying to process the implication of his confession. Like...how long had he felt that way about her? And what did 'serious' mean for him, exactly?

And why the heck was she worrying about any of that right now?

So Yi Jeong had just told her he liked her!

 _Her_!

Still, the question had to be asked.

"Uh, Sunbae, why are you telling me all this now?"

"Hmm?"

"I just mean...I didn't really get that you liked me that way from the past few weeks." She interlocked her fingers, tugging and twisting them.

"Right. That. I just...You were right about me getting pushed into going on the dates. I wasn't expecting to get anything out of it, really. I didn't think..." Yi Jeong paused and glanced away. He furrowed his brow, his mouth moving. Minute movements. She guessed he wanted to find the right words. "I wasn't looking for you," he finished, looking back up at her. "So when you suddenly appeared I didn't know what to do."

Interesting. She could relate to that on some level. She hadn't expected to meet him either. Or to like him so much when she did.

"And who do you think I am?" she asked. "To you, I mean?"

He tilted his head, studying her.

"Someone really nice. Like you said. Maybe I'll meet someone like that. You were right. Only I already had."

Ga Eul bit her lip to keep from smiling too big.

When she regained her composure somewhat, she said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay." She gave up on holding back her excitement. "Yes. I will go out with you. I like you too," she confessed, shyly casting her eyes to the ground as she did so.

"Then...I'm impressed."

"Why?" She looked back up at him.

"Just...you liked me, but you had no problem yelling at me." Yi Jeong gave her a warm, genuine smile, but one with a hint of teasing.

"I wasn't _yelling_. I just...Well, you were being a jerk."

"That's exactly what I mean. You really say what's in your head."

Ga Eul blushed.

"Well, you can blame Jan Di for that. She's been influencing me too much my whole life. You don't know her that well yet, but...you'll see."

Yi Jeong smiled and nodded, and a moment of silence settled between them.

He seemed to be waiting for her to say something else; she wondered if he meant for them to have a date right now or later.

"Well, I came here with Jan Di and Ji Hoo Sunbae, but, um, do you want to go somewhere else? I can—"

"No, no. I think your friend might kill me if we don't satisfy her curiosity." He gestured to the restaurant, and Ga Eul looked over to see Jan Di quite conspicuously twisting her head to peer out the window at them. She held a menu over half of her face, but Ga Eul could see her eyes hovering over the top of the colored plastic.

Spying wasn't exactly Jan Di's forte.

Chuckling, Ga Eul turned back around.

"We should probably go in before she injures her neck."

* * *

When they had entered the restaurant and crossed over to Jan Di and Ji Hoo's table, Jan Di did, indeed, wear the face of a puppy salivating over a long-awaited treat.

Ji Hoo, however, spoke up first.

"Did you have a nice talk?" He leaned back in his chair, ogling the two of them.

"If Jan Di reads lips, I'm sure she can fill you in on the details," Yi Jeong answered, sitting down next to Ji Hoo and diagonally from a suddenly red-faced Jan Di.

"I-I...But I was just—"

"Don't bother trying to defend yourself, Jan Di. I saw you too. And you didn't even tell me he was coming, so shame on you." Ga Eul plopped down next to Jan Di, who mumbled a weak protest into her water glass. Looking at Ji Hoo, Ga Eul continued, "But if you two must know—"

"I asked Ga Eul out, and she said 'yes,'" Yi Jeong finished, looking over the menu.

"Yeah, that," Ga Eul added. "Did you know about this?" she asked Ji Hoo.

"Yi Jeong told me he wanted to ask you, so Jan Di and I arranged this. Just remember us when you're picking godparents for your children."

Jan Di coughed, choking on her water.

"Hey, hey, slow down. We're going on a date. A _date_ ," Yi Jeong emphasized.

Ga Eul simply blushed and sipped the water the waitress set down in front of her.

Jan Di asked for another moment to look over the menu, and the young lady went away.

"Anyway," Yi Jeong continued, "what's going on over there?" He gestured to a table diagonal from them where several guys Ga Eul vaguely recognized from her college were scarfing down chicken like their life depended on it.

Ga Eul smiled at his obvious discomfort and attempt to change the subject.

"Apparently, there's a chicken eating competition today." Jan Di pointed to a sign in the window.

"You should enter, Jan Di. I bet you would win," Ga Eul suggested.

"W-why would I win a thing like that?" Jan Di objected.

She noticed her friend avoided looking at Ji Hoo, who was, in fact, looking at her quite intently, so she decided to rib her some more.

Served her right for letting Ga Eul suffer all day wondering if Yi Jeong hated her guts.

"Remember that noodle competition?" Ga Eul remarked.

"That was in high school, and I did it on a dare," Jan Di retorted.

"Noodle competition?" Ji Hoo queried.

"No, no, no." Jan Di waved her hands. "I don't remember that."

"He's about to see it anyway," Ga Eul said. "You always eat so much. I don't know where you put everything."

"At least I don't peck at food like a little bird." Jan Di scowled at her.

"I don't _peck_ at my food."

"Now that I think about it, you did eat really slowly the night we ate together. I kept wondering if you actually liked the food," Yi Jeong noted.

"Ah, but that was because..." Ga Eul bit off her protest. _I was trying not to be messy and embarrass myself_ , she mentally finished.

Yi Jeong looked like he was going to ask her to complete her sentence, but something at the entrance of the chicken shop mercifully caught his attention.

"Woo Bin?" he called out.

"Yi Jeong. Ji Hoo. Ladies."

Ga Eul turned her head to see Yi Jeong's other friend from the exhibition approaching their table. That night he had been wearing a flashy magenta suit jacket, but today he had more of a casual bad boy vibe going, a brown leather jacket complimenting his white dress shirt, which was open at the collar, and distressed jeans.

"What are you doing here?" Yi Jeong asked.

"What am _I_ doing here? What are all of _you_ doing here?" Woo Bin threw the question back at Yi Jeong.

"He's on a date with me!" a lady rushing up behind Woo Bin announced. She latched onto his arm, and Woo Bin looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him.

But he didn't shake her off. So that was something.

"Oh, um, guys, you know Ha Jae Kyung?" Woo Bin gestured to the lady clinging to his side. "Her parents own JK Group."

The lady grinned and greeted everyone enthusiastically, saying she'd already met Jan Di and Ji Hoo at the exhibition, but Woo Bin looked more and more discomfited by the situation with each passing second. He probably hadn't expected to run into his friends there, of all places. Ga Eul wondered how long the two of them had been dating.

"Oooohhh, are you four having a double date?" Jae Kyung asked. "Can we sit with you? Come on, Binnie, let's sit!"

"I told you not to call me that," Woo Bin muttered as Yi Jeong broke into gales of laughter.

Ji Hoo smiled and toyed with his water glass.

Ga Eul slid her chair over so that Jae Kyung could slide a chair in beside hers, which she seemed intent on doing, welcome or not.

"Who's on a double date?" Jan Di protested. "Ji Hoo Sunbae and I work together."

"Awww, but you would be so cute together," Jae Kyung insisted, and Jan Di turned beet red. "There's a chicken eating competition today," the enigmatic heiress explained to the rest of the table. "That's why I told Woo Bin to come here."

"Jan Di, I think you have some competition," Ga Eul whispered to Jan Di, causing her friend to glare at her once more.

"Woo Bin, are you doing it too?" Yi Jeong asked his friend who had reluctantly pulled up a chair next to him.

"Against her?" Woo Bin pointed at Jae Kyung and scoffed.

"He's only saying that because he always loses," Jae Kyung remarked, drumming her knuckles on the wood table top.

"Awww, poor Binnie." Yi Jeong mockingly patted him on the back, and Woo Bin elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hey! Cut it out! Dammit," Woo Bin grumbled, and Ga Eul laughed silently.

She supposed the situation was a bit weird. Yi Jeong had just confessed to her that he liked her, so they hadn't even been on a proper date yet, but there they were, eating dinner with their friends like they'd all known each other forever.

On second thought, it was nice seeing Yi Jeong so relaxed, especially considering the awkward atmosphere of some of his dates. He looked younger when he laughed and teased Woo Bin and Ji Hoo, and she could see how they must have been growing up together. It gave her a feeling of warmth, thinking that they all might be like family someday.

Also, out of all the boys at the table, Yi Jeong was the cutest.

Also, Yi Jeong was hers.

* * *

After a few hours of eating, drinking, and enjoying each other's company, their group of six had split ways.

Ji Hoo had driven Jan Di back to the apartment.

Yi Jeong had offered to drive Ga Eul separately, but now they'd been sitting in his car for ten—twenty?—minutes, talking and laughing as they recalled Woo Bin's embarrassment from earlier and Jae Kyung's comically successful chicken-eating victory.

"I just realized something," Yi Jeong commented while Ga Eul wiped tears from her eyes after another bout of laughter.

"Mm, what?" she asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"This is the first time I've seen you without your uniform. I mean, aside from the thing at the museum."

"Oh. Yes, I guess so." Ga Eul glanced at her outfit self-consciously. Though she'd taken care in preparing it, she didn't know that it was the outfit she would have chosen had she known he was going to be at the restaurant.

"You look pretty." Yi Jeong stared at her so intently that she glanced down a second time, the compliment making her even more self-conscious.

"Thank you. Actually, this skirt is kind of old." She plucked at her skirt as she said it. Because of course he needed to know _that_.

"You look pretty," he repeated.

He leaned over her to put her seatbelt on before she had time to react, and when he did their eyes met.

The seatbelt clicked into place.

She gulped. Their faces were nearly touching.

"Don't be nervous," Yi Jeong whispered.

"I'm not," she whispered back. A lie, of course.

But before she could lose her nerve, she tilted her head forward and brought her lips to his at the same moment he cupped her chin and leaned into her, sealing their lips like a promise of something new and full of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two Updates:
> 
> 1) Personal Update:
> 
> My husband got a new job, so he and I are moving to a different state in the United States. Where we are going is a pretty cool place in the U.S., so I'm excited. On the other hand, I've never lived outside of my home state before and certainly not that far from my family and friends. So if you have a moment, please spare me a prayer that I will not get too homesick or depressed my first few weeks and months living there. It's also going to be winter and colder than I'm used to (I'm moving further north), so that probably won't help me get acclimated hahaha but I will drink lots of hot tea and hot cocoa and make the best of it. :)
> 
> 2) Writing Update:
> 
> I have NO self control, so I am writing another ten chapter AU fic because people have loved on Ten Dates so much. The new fic is a detective AU called Dangerous Games. I just posted the first chapter of it (it's rated 'M,' so check your filter). Let me know what you think, or give it a fav/follow if you're interested.
> 
> Take care! And thank you so much for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> This story has also been published on my fanfiction.net account. Just reposting here.


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